Algorithm and performance of a clinical IMRT beam-angle optimization system

This paper describes the algorithm and examines the performance of an IMRT beam-angle optimization (BAO) system. In this algorithm successive sets of beam angles are selected from a set of predefined directions using a fast simulated annealing (FSA) algorithm. An IMRT beam-profile optimization is performed on each generated set of beams. The IMRT optimization is accelerated by using a fast dose calculation method that utilizes a precomputed dose kernel. A compact kernel is constructed for each of the predefined beams prior to starting the FSA algorithm. The IMRT optimizations during the BAO are then performed using these kernels in a fast dose calculation engine. This technique allows the IMRT optimization to be performed more than two orders of magnitude faster than a similar optimization that uses a convolution dose calculation engine.Comment: Final version that appeared in Phys. Med. Biol. 48 (2003) 3191-3212. Original EPS figures have been converted to PNG files due to size limi

Characterization of Ni-Cd Nanostructured System Obtained by Chemical Reduction of Salts

The process of obtaining of highly dispersed metal powders of Ni-Cd system by reduction of their salts by hydrazine in aqueous medium at high alkalinity was investigated. The possibility of production metal powders containing up to 50 mol% of cadmium is established and conditions for their synthesis are optimized. Phase composition, structural parameters, dispersity of solid products during the reduction process were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SAXS. The formation of metal solid solutions with FCC lattice contradicts to the known phase diagram for Ni-Cd and may be explained by increasing the energy of the particles in the nanostate. The formation of intermetallide NiCd5 in the studied compositions area is caused by sequential character of reduction process; as a result the metal product on the initial stage of reduction is significantly enriched with cadmium

Parity Effect and Charge Binding Transition in Submicron Josephson Junction Arrays

We reconsider the issue of Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition into an insulating state in the Coulomb-dominated Josephson junction arrays. We show that previously predicted picture of the Cooper-pair BKT transtion at T = T_2 is valid only under the condition that T_2 is considerably below the parity-effect temperature (which is usually almost 10 times below the value of superconductive transition temperature), and even in this case it is not a rigorous phase transition but only a crossover, whereas the real phase transition takes place at T_1 = T_2/4. Our theory is in agreement with available experimental data on Coulomb-dominated Josephson arrays and also sheds some light on the origin of unusual reentrant temperature dependence of resistivity in the array with nearly-criticial ratio of Coulomb to Josephson energies.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, to be published in JETP Letters, April 9