Particle And Heavy Ion Transport Code System Research Articles

Evaluation of radiation protection effectivity in a cardiac angiography room using visualized scattered radiation distribution

In this study, we devised a radiation protection tool specifically designed for healthcare professionals and students engaged in cardiac catheterization to easily monitor and evaluate scattered radiation distribution across diverse C-arm angles and arbitrary physician associated staff positions—scrub nurse and technologist positions. In this study, scattered radiation distributions in an angiography room were calculated using the Monte Carlo simulation of particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS) code. Four visualizations were performed under different C-arm angles with and without radiation protection: (1) a dose profile, (2) a 2D cross-section, (3) a 3D scattered radiation distribution, and (4) a 4D scattered radiation distribution. The simulation results detailing the scattered radiation distribution in PHITS were exported in Visualization Toolkit format and visualized through the open-source visualization application ParaView for analysis. Visualization of the scattered dose showed that dose distribution depends on the C-arm angle and the x-ray machine output parameters (kV, mAs s−1, beam filtration) which depend upon beam angulation to the patient body. When irradiating in the posterior–anterior direction, the protective curtain decreased the dose by 62% at a point 80 cm from the floor, where the physician’s gonads are positioned. Placing the protection board close to the x-ray tube reduced the dose by 24% at a location 160 cm from the floor, where the lens of the eye is situated. Notably, positioning the protection board adjacent to the physician resulted in a 95.4% reduction in incident air kerma. These visualization displays can be combined to understand the spread and direction of the scattered radiation distribution and to determine where and how to operate and place radiation protection devices, accounting for the different beam angulations encountered in interventional cases. This study showed that scatter visualization could be a radiation protection teaching aid for students and medical staff in angiography rooms.

The hazardous protective glass material for gamma, neutrons, and behaviors of charged particles: Results of adding barium oxide concentrations

The objective of this research is to examine the effectiveness of gamma and neutron shielding, as well as to investigate the behavior of charged particles in glass compositions with the formula xBaO:5SnO2:10Na2O:10CaO:10Li2O: (65-x)SiO2. These glass compositions will be created using the melt quenching technique (MQT). The findings indicated that the physical characteristics, such as density and molar volume, exhibited a comparable pattern. The gamma-ray shielding capacity of the glass system was assessed by comparing it with theoretical, simulation, and experimental values obtained using WinXCom, PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code System) Monte Carlo simulation, and Compton scattering technique (CST), respectively. The results revealed that the total attenuation (μm), effective atomic number (Zeff), and electron density (Nel) exhibited a consistent increase with higher BaO contents. Additionally, this increase led to a decrease in scattering energy within the Compton energy range. The half-value layer (HVL) exhibited superior shielding characteristics compared to alternative substances. Furthermore, the addition of more BaO atoms in the glass structure results in an increased ability of the material to stop the motion of charged particles with larger mass. Conversely, lower concentrations of BaO demonstrate an efficient barrier against fast neutrons. The simulation revealed that BaO can be utilized as an additive in glass materials to enhance their radiation shielding properties in environments with high levels of radiation.

Simulating the head of a TrueBeam linear particle accelerator and calculating the photoneutron spectrum on the central axis of a 10-MV photon using particle and heavy-ion transport system code.

Photon energy is higher than the (γ,n) threshold, allowing it to interact with the nuclei of materials with high z properties and liberate fast neutrons. This represents a potentially harmful source of radiation for humans and the environment. This study validated the Monte Carlo simulation, using the particle and heavy-ion transport code system (PHITS) on a TrueBeam 10-MV linear particle accelerator's head shielding model and then used this PHITS code to simulate a photo-neutron spectrum for the transport of the beam. The results showed that, when comparing the simulated to measured PDD and crosslines, 100% of the γ-indexes were<1 (γ3%/3mm) for both simulations, for both phase-space data source and a mono energy source. Neutron spectra were recorded in all parts of the TrueBeam's head, as well as photon neutron spectra at three points on the beamline.

Influence mechanism of lithium surface oxidation on neutron yield of lithium target for accelerator-based neutron source

Lithium is generally adopted as the target to generate epithermal neutrons based on 7Li(p,n)7Be nuclear reaction for the application of accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT). The stability of neutron yields and neutron energy spectrum are key factors for the therapeutic effects of the AB-BNCT. Owing to the active chemical properties of lithium, the surface oxidation formation of lithium may influence the soundness of the target system and the stability of neutron yields. Experimental and simulation methods were performed for a better understanding of the passivation layer formation after air exposure and the influence of the passivation layer on the neutron yield and energy spectrum. On one hand, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was adopted to study the chemical states of lithium after air exposure. On the other hand, particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS) was used to evaluate the effect of surface chemical states variation on neutron yield and energy spectrum. The simulation results indicate that the formation of Li2O with a thickness of 2 μm could mainly influence the neutron yields at the neutron emission angle of 20–90° with a maximum reduction of ∼ 10.4%.

Estimation of nuclear properties in a deuteron–lithium target using JENDL/DEU-2020 for IFMIF and similar irradiation facilities

An accelerator-based neutron source powered by deuteron–Li (d–Li) reactions is among the most promising neutron sources for fusion materials irradiation facilities, such as IFMIF, IFMIF-DONES, and A-FNS. The yield estimation of neutrons and other particles is critical to the design of these facilities. Presently, the McDelicious code is employed for the aforementioned yield estimations, although it is not an open code. Recently, a deuteron-induced reaction library, JENDL/DEU-2020, was released by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Thus, employing benchmark tests, such as the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) + JENDL/DEU-2020, Monte Carlo N-Particle + JENDL/DEU-2020, and McDelicious, we confirm that PHITS (or Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP)) + JENDL/DEU-2020 effectively reproduces the experimental data and McDelicious results. We apply PHITS + JENDL/DEU-2020 to the yield estimations of the neutron, gamma, and charged particles in a Li target and to the yield estimation of the charged particles in the target backplate for A-FNS. The estimated production rates of tritium and 7Be during the continuous operation using a deuteron beam of 40 MeV and 125 mA are 1.4 × 1016 atoms/s (2.3 g/FPY) and 5.9 × 1014 atoms/s (0.21 g/FPY), respectively, and the estimated production rates of He and H in the target backplate for A-FNS are 3.2 × 102 and 1.8 × 103 appm/FPY, respectively.

A pilot study of diabetes effects on radiation attenuation characteristics of tibia and femur of rats

This study aimed to investigate the effect of diabetes on radiation attenuation parameters of the femur and tibia of rats using Monte Carlo Simulations. First, control and diabetic rats were identified and tibias and femurs were removed. Then, the elemental ratios of the bones obtained were calculated using EDS (Energy Dissipative X-ray Spectroscopy). Therefore, radiation permeability properties of control and diabetic bones were simulated by using the content ratios in the bones in MCNP6 (Monte Carlo N-Particle) and PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System) 3.22 and Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM) simulation codes. Attenuation coefficient results were compared with the NIST database via XCOM. Although differences in absorption coefficients are observed at low energies, these differences disappear as the energy increases.

Physics and small-scale dosimetry of -emitters for targeted radionuclide therapy: The case of .

Monte Carlo simulations have been considered for a long time the gold standard for dose calculations in conventional radiotherapy and are currently being applied for the same purpose in innovative radiotherapy techniques such as targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT). We present in this work a benchmarking study of the latest version of the Transport d'Ions Lourds Dans l'Aqua & Vivo (TILDA-V) Monte Carlo track structure code, highlighting its capabilities for describing the full slowing down of -particles in water and the energy deposited in cells by -emitters in the context ofTRT. We performed radiation transport simulations of -particles (10keV -100MeV ) in water with TILDA-Vand the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) version 3.33. We compared the predictions of each code in terms of track parameters (stopping power, range and radial dose profiles) and cellular S-values of the promising radionuclide astatine-211 ( ). Additional comparisons were made with available data in theliterature. The stopping power, range and radial dose profiles of -particles computed with TILDA-Vwere in excellent agreement with other calculations and available data. Overall, minor differences with PHITS were ascribed to phase effects, that is, related to the use of interaction cross sectionscomputed for water vapor or liquid water. However, important discrepancies were observed in the radial dose profiles of monoenergetic -particles, for which PHITS results showed a large underestimation of the absorbed dose compared to other codes and experimental data. The cellular S-values of computed with TILDA-V agreed within 4% with the values predicted by PHITS andMIRDcell. The validation of the TILDA-Vcode presented in this work opens the possibility to use it as an accurate simulation tool for investigating the interaction of -particles in biological media down to the nanometer scale in the context of medical research. The code may help nuclear medicine physicians in their choice of -emitters for TRT. Further research will focus on the application of TILDA-Vfor quantifying radioinduced damage on the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule.

Investigation of ionization chamber perturbation factors using proton beam and Fano cavity test for the Monte Carlo simulation code PHITS.

The reference dose for clinical proton beam therapy is based on ionization chamber dosimetry. However, data on uncertainties in proton dosimetry are lacking, and multifaceted studies are required. Monte Carlo simulations are useful tools for calculating ionization chamber dosimetry in radiation fields and are sensitive to the transport algorithm parameters when particles are transported in a heterogeneous region. We aimed to evaluate the proton transport algorithm of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code System (PHITS) using the Fano test. The response of the ionization chamber and beam quality correction factors were calculated using the same parameters as those in the Fano test and compared with those of other Monte Carlo codes for verification. The geometry of the Fano test consisted of a cylindrical gas-filled cavity sandwiched between two cylindrical walls. was calculated as the ratio of the absorbed dose in water to the dose in the cavity in the chamber. We compared the calculated using PHITS with that of a previous study, which was calculated using other Monte Carlo codes (Geant4, FULKA, and PENH) under similar conditions. The flight mesh, a parameter for charged particle transport, passed the Fano test within 0.15%. This was shown to be sufficiently accurate compared with that observed in previous studies. The calculated using PHITS were 1.116 ± 0.002 and 1.124 ± 0.003 for NACP-02 and PTW-30013, respectively, and the were 0.981 ± 0.008 and 1.027 ± 0.008, respectively, at 150MeV. Our results indicate that PHITS can calculate the and with high precision.

A step-by-step simulation code for estimating yields of water radiolysis species based on electron track-structure mode in the PHITS code

Objective. Time-dependent yields of chemical products resulting from water radiolysis play a great role in evaluating DNA damage response after exposure to ionizing radiation. Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) is a general-purpose Monte Carlo simulation code for radiation transport, which simulates atomic interactions originating from discrete energy levels of ionizations and electronic excitations as well as molecular excitations as physical stages. However, no chemical code for simulating water radiolysis products exists in the PHITS package. Approach. Here, we developed a chemical simulation code dedicated to the PHITS code, hereafter called PHITS-Chem code, which enables the calculation of the G values of water radiolysis species (•OH, eaq −, H2, H2O2 etc) by electron beams. Main results. The estimated G values during 1 μs are in agreement with the experimental ones and other simulations. This PHITS-Chem code also simulates the radiolysis in the presence of OH radical scavengers, such as tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and dimethyl sulfoxide. Thank to this feature, the contributions of direct and indirect effects on DNA damage induction under various scavenging capacities can be analyzed. Significance. This chemical code coupled with PHITS could contribute to elucidating the mechanism of radiation effects by connecting physical, physicochemical, and chemical processes.

The Study for Standardization of Dose Evaluation Method in Cone-beam CT

This study aimed to compare the dose evaluation methods by constructing simulation models using the Monte Carlo calculation code and propose an evaluation method for cone beam CT (CBCT) that ensures accuracy and practicality. The Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) ver. 3.26 was used as the Monte Carlo calculation code. CBCT doses were measured by CB dose index (CBDI) and American Association of Physicists in Medicine task group 111 (TG111) methods. The CBDI was compared with the equilibrium doses obtained by the TG111 method. Although CBDI was lower than equilibrium doses obtained by the TG111 method, its practicality was ensured because it can be measured using the dosimeter and phantom that are commonly used. In contrast, the TG111 method guarantees accuracy, but it is difficult to prepare a long phantom to obtain the equilibrium dose. The TG111 method with a phantom length of 15 cm underestimated the equilibrium dose by 20% compared to that with a phantom length of 45 cm that satisfies the dose equilibrium. Therefore, the equilibrium dose obtained by the TG111 method with a phantom length of 15 cm is multiplied by 1.20 to obtain the equilibrium dose equivalent to that with a phantom length of 45 cm. This study has proposed the dose evaluation method that combines guarantees accuracy and practicality in CBCT.

Monte Carlo Calculation for Production Cross-Sections of Projectile’s Isotopes from Therapeutic Carbon and Helium Ion Beams in Different Materials

Background: Isotopes of the projectile may be produced along the beam path during the irradiation of a target by a heavy ion due to inelastic interactions with the media. This study analyzed the production cross-section of carbon (C) and Helium (He) projectile’s isotopes resulting from the interactions of these beams with different materials along the beam path.Materials and Methods: In this study, we transport C and He ion beams through different materials. This transportation was made by the Monte Carlo simulation. Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) has been used for this calculation.Results and Discussion: It has been found that &lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;C, &lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;C, and &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C from the &lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;C ion beam and &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;He from the &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He ion beam are significant projectile’s isotopes that have higher flux than other isotopes of these projectiles. The &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He ion beam has a higher projectile’s isotope production cross-section along the beam path, which adds more impurities to the beam than the &lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;C ion beam. These projectile’s isotopes from both the &lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;C and &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;He ion beams have higher production cross-sections in hydrogenous materials like water or polyethylene.Conclusion: It is important to distinguish these projectile’s isotopes from the primary beam particles to obtain a precise and accurate cross-section result by minimizing the error during measurement with a nuclear track detector. This study will show the trend of the production probability of projectile’s isotopes for these ion beams.

Out-of-field dosimetry using a validated PHITS model and computational phantom in clinical BNCT.

The out-of-field radiation dose for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), which results from both neutrons and γ-rays, has not been extensively evaluated. To safely perform BNCT, the neutron and γ-ray distributions inside the treatment room and the whole-body dose should be evaluated during commissioning. Although, certain previous studies have evaluated the whole-body dose in the clinical research phase, no institution providing BNCT covered by health insurance has yet validated the neutron distribution inside the room and the whole-body dose. To validate the Monte Carlo model of the BNCT irradiation room extended for the whole-body region and evaluate organ-at-risk (OAR) doses using the validated model with a human-body phantom. First, thermal neutron distribution inside the entire treatment room was measured by placing Au samples on the walls of the treatment room. Second, neutron and gamma-ray dose-rate distributions inside a human-body water phantom were measured. Both lying and sitting positions were considered. Bare Au, Au covered by Cd (Au+Cd), In, Al, and thermoluminescent dosimeters were arranged at 11 points corresponding to locations of the OARs inside the phantom. After the irradiation, γ-ray peaks emitted from the samples were measured by a high-purity germanium detector. The measured counts were converted to the reaction rate per unit charge of the sample. These measurements were compared with results of simulations performed with the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS). A male adult mesh-type reference computational phantom was used to evaluate OAR doses in the whole-body region. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE)-weighted doses and dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for each OAR were evaluated. The median dose (D50% ) and near-maximum dose (D2% ) were evaluated for 14 OARs in a 1-h-irradiation process. The evaluated RBE-weighted doses were converted to equivalent doses in 2Gy fractions. Experimental results within 60cm from the irradiation center agreed with simulation results within the error bars except at±20, 30cm, and those over 70cm corresponded within one digit. The experimental results of reaction rates or γ-ray dose rate for lying and sitting positions agreed well with the simulation results within the error bars at 8, 4, 11, 7 and 7, 4, 7, 6, 5, 6 out of 11 points, respectively, for Au, Au+Cd, In, Al, and TLD. Among the detectors, the discrepancies in reaction rates between experiment and simulation were most common for Au+Cd, but were observed randomly for measurement points (brain, lung, etc.). The experimental results of γ-ray dose rates were systematically lower than simulation results at abdomen and waist regions for both positions. Extending the PHITS model to the whole-body region resulted in higher doses for all OARs, especially 0.13Gy-eq increase for D50% of the left salivary gland. The PHITS model for clinical BNCT for the whole-body region was validated, and the OAR doses were then evaluated. Clinicians and medical physicists should know that the out-of-field radiation increases the OAR dose in the whole-body region.

Evaluation of radiation dose caused by bremsstrahlung photons generated by high-energy beta rays using the PHITS and GEANT4 simulation codes

ABSTRACT High-energy beta-ray sources generate bremsstrahlung photons in the building materials, generated by the radioactive nuclides inside the nuclear reactor buildings emitted by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor accident. Therefore, evaluating the bremsstrahlung dose subjected to the workers in the building is crucial for radiation protection. The precision for assessing the bremsstrahlung dose was investigated by comparing the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) and the GEometry ANd Tracking (GEANT4) simulation code results. Behind various shielding plates (lead, copper, aluminum, glass, and polyethylene with multiple thicknesses), the water cylinder was set to obtain the absorbed dose and the deposited energy spectrum by the bremsstrahlung photons. In comparing the deposited energy spectrum, the spectral shapes have consistent trends. Below several tens of keV, a peak is observed in the PHITS spectrum for lead. While comparing the absorbed dose, most of the results from both codes correlate within an ~10% difference for 2.280 MeV beta-ray sources and an ~20% difference for 0.5459 MeV beta-ray sources, except for ~30% for 20 mm thick lead. Although some differences occurred, the evaluation results of both codes correlated well with the above precision.

Development of a model for evaluating the luminescence intensity of phosphors based on the PHITS track-structure simulation

Radiation-induced phosphors are frequently used as radiation detectors to measure dose distributions of swift ions. However, the luminescence intensity per dose of the phosphor at the Bragg peak regions decreases because of the quenching effects. To precisely measure the dose distribution for various radiation types using phosphor detectors, understanding the mechanism of quenching effects, induced by the electrons at the atomic scale, is crucial. In this study, we developed a new microdosimetric model for evaluating the luminescence intensity of phosphors based on the track-structure (TS) modes applicable to arbitrary materials implemented in the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS). Herein, the two dominant factors for determining the luminescence intensity, such as (1) the energy required to generate an electron-hole pair and (2) their transfer efficiency to the luminescence center, are estimated from the TS mode in PHITS by calculating the number of stopped electrons and their spatial distributions. Using the developed model, we calculated the energy required to generate an electron-hole pair in various phosphors, which revealed a complex dependency on the bandgap energy, the composition, and the density of the material. Furthermore, we simulated the quenching effects of the BaFBr detector by calculating its transfer efficiencies for swift-ion irradiation and compared the simulation results with the corresponding experimental data. The comparison suggested that the density of luminescence centers is an essential parameter of the phosphors to reproduce the experimental quenching effects. The developed model is based on the first-principles calculation without any empirical correction; therefore, it is expected to contribute widely to developing phosphor detectors.

Atmospheric Ionizations by Solar X‐Rays, Solar Protons, and Radiation Belt Electrons in September 2017 Space Weather Event

AbstractEnergetic particles from space deposit their energies on the Earth's atmosphere and contribute to variations in the concentration of neutral components such as ozone which controls the atmospheric temperature balance. Comprehensive understandings of their global impact on the atmosphere require whole pictures of spatiotemporal ionization distributions due to them. We first attempt to evaluate and summarize the altitude profiles of ionization for the September 2017 space weather event with cutting‐edge space‐borne and ground‐based observations of different types of particle inputs. In early September 2017, the Sun showed notable activity, including X‐class flares and solar proton events. During this period, ground‐based radar observations have confirmed atmospheric ionization events by energetic particle precipitations of solar flare X‐rays, solar protons, and radiation belt electrons, the main sources of ionization into the Earth's atmosphere. We estimate the altitude profiles of the ionization rate by using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) with the input of the particle fluxes obtained by satellites. The estimates are then compared with measurements of the ionization altitude, ionization intensity, and electron density by the radars in the polar region, such as the PANSY radar at Syowa Station and the EISCAT in Tromsø, Norway. We conclude that the PHITS simulation results reasonably reproduce (within the error of a factor of two) those ionizations measured by ground‐based instruments with inputs of observed ionization sources by satellites.

Comparison of Doses in Lunar Habitats Located at the Surface and in Crater

As humanity prepares for extended lunar exploration, understanding the radiation environment on the Moon is important for astronaut safety. This study utilized the Particle and Heavy-Ion Transport code System (PHITS), a stochastic Monte Carlo-based radiation transport code, to simulate the radiation environment inside a habitat, focusing on the impact of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) interacting with local lunar and habitat material, and to calculate the effective dose equivalent. Placing a lunar base in a crater can provide additional shielding by reducing the GCR flux incident on the base. Furthermore, the secondary radiation field created by GCR interactions may be altered by the local topological features. GCR transport calculations were performed for a hypothetical base on a flat surface and in shallow and deep craters to determine the overall efficacy in dose reduction gained by placing a base in a 100 m diameter crater. Our findings indicate that the depth of lunar habitats significantly influences the effective dose equivalent, with deeper locations offering substantial protection. Specifically, alongside a crater wall at a deep depth (15 m), in solar minimum conditions, the total dose was reduced by approximately 44.9% compared to the dose at the surface. Similarly, at a shallow depth (5 m), a reduction of approximately 10.7% was observed. As the depth of the crater increased, the neutron contribution to the total dose also increased. Comparing the simulated doses to NASA’s lifetime exposure limits provides insights into mission planning and astronaut safety, emphasizing the importance of strategic habitat placement and design.

Development of DynamicMC for PHITS Monte Carlo package.

Previously, we have developed DynamicMC for modeling relative movement of Oak Ridge National Laboratory phantom in a radiation field for the Monte Carlo N-Particle package (Health Physics. 2023,124(4):301-309). Using this software, three-dimensional dose distributions in a phantom irradiated by a certain mono-energetic (Mono E) source can be deduced through its graphical user interface. In this study, we extended DynamicMC to be used in combination with the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) by providing it with a higher flexibility for dynamic movement for an anthropomorphic phantom. For this purpose, we implemented four new functions into the software, which are (1) to generate not only Mono E sources but also those having an energy spectrum of an arbitrary radioisotope (2) to calculate the absorbed doses for several radiologically important organs (3) to automatically average the calculated absorbed doses along the path of the phantom and (4) to generate user-defined slab shielding materials. The first and third items utilize the PHITS-specific modalities named radioisotope-source and sumtally functions, respectively. The computational cost and complexity can be dramatically reduced with these features. We anticipate that the present work and the developed open-source tools will be in the interest of nuclear radiation physics community for research and teaching purposes.

Development of an electron track-structure mode for arbitrary semiconductor materials in PHITS

Abstract Optimizing the design of semiconductor detector requires an electron track-structure code that can trace an incident electron motion with energies down to a few eV and simulate the production process of excited electrons in semiconductors. We therefore developed an Electron Track Structure mode applicable to ARbitrary Targets (ETSART) and implemented it into Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS). ETSART can simulate the electrons’ motion in arbitrary semiconductor materials using their bandgap energies. The accuracy of ETSART was validated by comparing the calculated electron path lengths in semiconductor materials with the corresponding data in the ICRU Report 37. Using ETSART, we also computed the mean energy required to produce an electron–hole pair (epsilon value) in various semiconductors and found that the epsilon value varies nonlinearly with the bandgap energy. Thus, ETSART can be useful for initial and mechanistic evaluations of electron–hole pair formation in new materials.

Dose and irradiation time analysis of negative pi-meson therapy using particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS)

Dose and irradiation time analysis of negative pi-meson therapy using particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS)

Development of nuclear de-excitation model EBITEM Ver.2

ABSTRACT The gamma de-excitation model of the general-purpose radiation transport code Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System, called the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF)-Based Isomeric Transition and isomEr production Model (EBITEM) has been upgraded with a focus on precise neutron-capture reaction simulation. The first de-excitation subsequent to neutron capture of numerous nuclei, which was formerly simulated by a model based on the single particle model, is calculated using the Evaluated Gamma Activation File. The database used for further de-excitation, ENSDF, retrieved in 2013, was replaced with Reference Input Parameter Library 3 to consider internal conversion. The internal conversion process was interfaced with the atomic de-excitation model to assess the emission of Auger electrons and fluorescent X-rays. The spectra of gamma-rays from neutron-capture reactions calculated by the upgraded EBITEM correlate better with the evaluated cross-section data than those of the previous version.