The course intends to describe the physics and the working principles that are the basis of many devices for biomedical and industrial applications employing beams of particles or, more generally, peculiar properties of the elementary particles (in particular, nuclear spin).

The student will acquire knowledge of the phenomena connected with the interaction between radiation and matter, and he/she will learn how they can be exploited in devices for diagnostic and therapy uses.

Courses of Physics (I and II) and Calculus.

1. Elements of physics of elementary particles and of nuclei Short introduction to relativity and quantum mechanics; Fundamental interactions and Standard Model; Structure of nuclei. Drop model and binding energy. 2. Radioactivity Law of radioactive decay; Types of radioactive decay; Segré chart. Natural, cosmogenic and artificial radioactivity; Use of radionuclides in medicine. 3. Interaction between radiation and matter Compton and Rayleigh scattering, photoelectric effect, pair formation, bremsstrahlung; Auger effect and fluorescence; Interaction of heavy particles (ions or protons) with matter; Born and Bethe-Bloch formulas , Bragg’s peak. Spontaneous and stimulated emission, photon absorption; 4. Sources X-ray sources; Particle accelerators; Lasers. 5. Use of radiation and particle beams in medicine X-ray computed tomography; SPECT, PET; X-ray radiation therapy; brachytherapy; Boron neutron capture therapy; Hadron therapy. 6. Nuclear magnetic resonance Spin of elementary particles and nuclear spin; Spin dynamics in presence of magnetic field and radio frequency ; Techniques for 1D and 2D imaging.

The course consists in lessons on theory (45 hours) and lessons on applications and examples (15 hours).

F. Close, Particle Physics - a very short introduction, Oxford University Press, 2012. E.B. Podgoršak, Radiation Physics for Medical Physicists, Third Edition, Springer, 2016. R.K. Hobbie, B.J. Roth, Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology, Fourth Edition, Springer, 2007. D. Scannicchio, Fisica Medica, III edizione, EdiSeS, 2013. M.H. Levitt, Spin dynamics: basis of nuclear magnetic resonance, Wiley, 2008.

Modalità di esame: Prova scritta (in aula);

Exam: Written test;

... Written exam (1.5 h) on the contents of the course. Typically, five essay questions are proposed and the student must give a detailed answer to three of them. Notes and texts cannot be used during the exam. The final mark of the exam is evaluated as the sum of the marks obtained in the three questions.

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.