Experimental studies of broadening in water of proton or carbon ion pencil beams for Hadron Therapy

Studies of the beam broadening and in-depth dose profiles in water for a pencil beams of protons and carbon ions, with energies in the range of interest for Hadron Therapy, have been carried out. Transversal images of absorbed dose have been attained and fitted with Gaussian approximation. The area of the section at half height of the fitting surface was evaluated to quantify the beam broadening. The radius R of the section was taken to describe the beam broadening and a mathematical function giving R versus depth in water, for whichever PB energy, was attained, both for protons and for carbon ions.