Abstract
Proton therapy is an advanced cancer treatment modality due to its ability to precisely deliver radiation doses to tumors using the Bragg peak effect. An energy degrader plays a vital role at a cyclotron-based proton therapy facility, as it provides a rapid, reliable, and reproducible method of setting the appropriate beam energy for radiotherapy. However, the protons undergo nuclear interactions with the matter in the degrader, leading to significant secondary particles causing a large ambient radiation dose nearby, creating severe risks for the facility operation. This study investigated the beam loss mechanism and the secondary particle generation in a B4C/graphite composite (BGC) energy degrader. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to ensure the shielding design’s reliability. Calculations showed that the BGC degrader had a higher beam transmission efficiency than a pure graphite degrader, while the secondary neutron yield was higher. An optimum shielding configuration can significantly reduce the radiation dose to an acceptable level for sensitive devices and maintenance staff.
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