Commissioning of low particle flux for proton beams at MedAustron

MedAustron is a synchrotron-based particle therapy centre located in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. It features three irradiation rooms for therapy, where proton beams with energies up to 252.7 MeV and carbon ions of 402.8 MeV/u are available cancer treatment. In addition the treatment rooms, unique beamline exclusively non-clinical research (NCR). This also commissioned 800 MeV, while ion correspond ones clinical rooms. Based on requirements all offer rates 10^9 particles/s protons 10^7 ions. However, purposes, lower fluxes required were therefore NCR beamline. Three flux settings ranging from ~2.4x10^3 ~5.2x10^6 established seven below MeV. rate, spot sizes beam measured these settings. Furthermore, low ~2x10^3 ~1.3x10^6 commissioned. Since regime well limits standard diagnostics, setting under new operational conditions entirely relied use external detectors. position measurement based alignment without using profile monitors was performed protons.