More than hundred years after the discovery of X-rays different kinds of ionizing radiation are ubiquitous in medicine, applied to clinical diagnostics and cancer treatment as well. Irrespective of their nature, the widespread application of radiation implies its precise dosimetric characterization and detailed knowledge of the radiobiological effects induced in cancerous and normal tissue. Starting with in vitro cell irradiation experiments, which define basic parameters for the subsequent tissue and animal studies, the whole multi-stage process is completed by clinical trials that translate the results of fundamental research into clinical application. In this context, the present dissertation focuses on the establishment of radiobiological in vitro cell experiments at unconventional, but clinical relevant radiation qualities. In the first part of the present work the energy dependent biological effectiveness of photons was studied examining low-energy X-rays (≤ 50 keV), as used for mammography, and high-energy photons (≥ 20 MeV) as proposed for future radiotherapy. Cell irradiation experiments have been performed at conventional X-ray tubes providing low-energy photons and 200 kV reference radiation as well. In parallel, unconventional quasi-monochromatic channeling X-rays and high-energy bremsstrahlung available at the radiation source ELBE of the Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf were considered for radiobiological experimentation. For their precise dosimetric characterization dosimeters based on the thermally stimulated emission of exoelectrons and on radiochromic films were evaluated, whereas just the latter was found to be suitable for the determination of absolute doses and spatial dose distributions at cell position. Standard ionization chambers were deployed for the online control of cell irradiation experiments. Radiobiological effects were analyzed in human mammary epithelial cells on different subcellular levels revealing an increasing amount of damage for decreasing photon energy. For this reason, the assumed photon energy dependence was reconfirmed for a cell line other than human lymphocytes, an important finding that was discussed on the 2007 Retreat of the German Commission on Radiological Protection. After successful finalization of the photon experiments the focus of the present dissertation was directed to the realization of in vitro cell irradiation experiments with laser-accelerated electrons. This research was carried out in the frame of the project onCOOPtics that aims on the development of laser-based particle accelerators, which promise accelerators of potentially compact size and more cost-effectiveness suitable for a widespread medical application, especially for high precision hadron therapy. The unique properties, i.e., the ultrashort bunch length and resultant ultrahigh pulse dose rate, of these unconventional particle accelerators demand for extensive investigations with respect to potential effects on the dosimetric and radiobiological characterization. Based on the experiences gained at ELBE first experiments on the radiobiological characterization of laser-accelerated electrons have been performed at the Jena Titanium:Sapphire laser system. After beam optimization, a sophisticated dosimetry system was established that allow for the online control of the beam parameters and for the controlled delivery of dose to the cell sample. Finally, worldwide first systematic in vitro cell irradiation experiments were carried out resulting in a reduced biological effectiveness for laser-accelerated electrons relative to the 200 kV X-ray reference, irrespectively on the biological effect and cell lines examined. These successful results are the basis for future in vivo studies and experiments with laser-accelerated protons.

Investigating and mapping fundamental processes in nature is a driving force for breakthroughs in research and technology. Doing so, requires knowledge of the smallest scales of the world. One way of performing measurements on these scales is through intense x-ray sources, which have improved greatly over the last decades. By combing these sources with state of the art optics, even higher flux densities can be reached, allowing for faster measurements and ground-breaking discoveries.  This study aims to explore the performance of polycapillary optics, when aligned to one of the most intense x-ray micro sources in the world, the liquid-metal-jet D2+. Knife edge scans were performed together with a photon-counting medipix x-ray camera to quantify focus properties such as, flux, flux density, transmission, gain and beam width. Measurements were conducted with a 20 μm source spot that was compared to a simulated 200 μm source spot, both at 260 W electron beam power. The data from vertical and horizontal scans were combined to reconstruct the 2D functionality of the polycapillary optic. The flux density were almost four times higher with the 20 μm spot compared to the simulated 200 μm spot. This result correlated with the condition for total external reflection and the local divergence. The conclusion is that the small source spot of the liquid-metal-jet source improves the efficiency of the polycapillary optic.  The efficiency could still be improved, if the deviation in the pointing accuracy could be minimized. Furthermore, the combination of liquid-metal-jet x-ray source and the polycapillary optic, achieved extremely high flux densities. This was specially compared to an x-ray source used for confocal micro XRF, where the flux was almost nine times higher with the liquid-metal-jet x-ray source. This allows for faster measurements within confocal micro XRF and other techniques demanding very high flux densities, but with low demands on beam divergence and spectral purity.

En dosimétrie, la distribution énergétique des photons émis par une source constitue un paramètre incontournable. Dans la gamme des basses et moyennes énergies (i.e. E<150 keV ici), le LNHB possède 5 tubes à rayons X ainsi que des grains de curiethérapie à l’iode 125, présentant des hauts débits de fluence. La détermination du spectre émis par calcul (déterministe ou Monte-Carlo) est limitée, dans la gamme d’énergie considérée, par les incertitudes élevées sur les bases de données ainsi que par les approximations du modèle. La mesure directe avec un détecteur au germanium ultra-pur a donc été retenue, bien que nécessitant de lourds moyens. De plus, le spectre mesuré est le produit de convolution du spectre émis recherché par la réponse du système. Une fois la réponse du détecteur modélisée, il est possible de « déconvoluer» la mesure, i.e. de remonter au spectre réellement émis en corrigeant (par stripping, model-fitting, inférence bayésienne…) les déformations spectrales induites par le processus de détection. Pour la curiethérapie, le modèle de grain-source a ainsi pu être ajusté. Pour les tubes à rayons X, les résultats obtenus avec différents codes Monte-Carlo et 4 logiciels déterministes ont été comparés à un spectre dit de référence obtenu par mesure et déconvolué. Ainsi l’impact sur certaines grandeurs dosimétriques de la méthode utilisée a pu être quantifié. / In the field of dosimetry, the knowledge of the whole photon fluence spectrum is an essential parameter. In the low-to-medium energy range (i.e. E<150 keV), the LNHB possess 5 X-ray tubes and iodine-125 brachytherapy seeds, both emitting high fluence rates. The performance of calculation (either Monte Carlo codes or deterministic software) is flawed by increasing uncertainties on fundamental parameters at low energies, and modelling issues. Therefore, direct measurement using a high purity germanium is preferred, even though it requires a time-consuming set-up and mathematical methods to infer impinging spectrum from measured ones (such as stripping, model-fitting or Bayesian inference…). Concerning brachytherapy, the knowledge of the seed’s parameters has been improved. Moreover, various calculated X-ray tube fluence spectra have been compared to measured ones, after unfolding. The results of all these methods have then be assessed, as well as their impact on dosimetric parameters.