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AR Smith

Publications and source records attributed to AR Smith.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Assessment of Physics Quality Assurance in United States Radiotherapy Facilities and Comparison With American College of Radiology Standard for Radiation Oncology Physics for External Beam Therapy.

We have assessed radiation therapy physics quality assurance (QA) elements in the United States and compared the results with the Patterns of Care Study (PCS) Consensus Guidelines for Treatment Planning and the American College of Radiology (ACR) Standard for Radiation Oncology Physics for External Beam Therapy. Data were obtained during PCS site visits to 73 facilities randomly selected from the 1,321 radiation therapy facilities in the United States: 21 academic, 26 hospital, and 26 freestanding. The following is a representative sample of results. The estimated national averages for facilities having QA programs for treatment planning systems, simulators, accelerators, film processors, and blocking systems are 44%, 79%, 94%, 62%, and 55%, respectively. Only 63% of facilities obtain an independent check of their accelerator calibrations from a source outside the facilities obtain an independent check of their accelerator calibrations from a source outside the facility. Twenty-six percent of facilities surveyed did not have in vivo dosimetry capability. These results and others in the study were compared with PCS consensus guidelines and ACR standards, This is the first such study performed in the United States, and the results establish a baseline for future studies. A recommendation for a comprehensive national physics QA study is based on deficiencies found in this study and the implementation of new technologies in radiation therapy.

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Formation of Atomically Flat Silver Films on GaAs with a "Silver Mean" Quasi Periodicity

A flat epitaxial silver film on a gallium arsenide [GaAs(110)] surface was synthesized in a two-step process. Deposition of a critical thickness of silver at low temperature led to the formation of a dense nanocluster film. Upon annealing, all atoms rearranged themselves into an atomically flat film. This silver film has a close-packed (111) structure modulated by a "silver mean" quasi-periodic sequence. The ability to grow such epitaxial overlayers of metals on semiconductors enables the testing of theoretical models and provides a connection between metal and semiconductor technologies.

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