Sensitivity of secondary particle emission to hadronic physics models in GATE/Geant4 proton therapy simulations at 100 MeV

Abstract

Introduction: Proton therapy simulations rely on Monte Carlo techniques, such as the GATE code based on the Geant4 toolkit, to predict dose distribution and secondary particle production. The accuracy of these simulations is heavily influenced by the chosen physics models. Methods: In this study, we analyzed three Geant4 hadronic physics models, BIC, BERT, and INCL++, by calculating the angular and energy distributions of secondary neutrons and gamma particles. We conducted GATE/Geant4 simulations on a water phantom irradiated with a 100 MeV proton beam. Results: Our investigation revealed notable differences in the angular and energy distributions of emitted particles among the three models. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the necessity of carefully selecting a hadronic physics model for GATE/Geant4 simulations in proton therapy.