Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Studying the abundance of heavy nuclei produced in carbon therapy using Geant4 toolkit

Document Type : Scientific Note

Authors

S.M. Motevalli 1
V. Zanganeh 2
S. Bagheri 1

1 Department of Nuclear Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Mazandaran, P.O.BOX: 47415-416, Babolsar - Iran

2 Department of Physics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Golestan University, P.O.BOX: 15759-49138, Gorgan - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2022.1127.1744
Abstract
Carbon-12 ion beams in the energy range of 100-450 MeV/u have excellent conditions for radiation-resistant and deep-seated tumors. At energies above 400 MeV/u, radiation is significantly affected by nuclear fragmentation processes of increasing depth. In this project, using the Geant4 toolkit, three physical models of Binary Intranuclear Cascade (BIC), Lige Intranuclear Cascade (INCL), and Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) for heavy particles are defined in this toolkit. By examining the QMD model available in the Geant4 toolkit, the effects of heavy particles because of fragmentation of the nucleus by calculating the abundance of nuclei produced with an atomic number in the range 5>Z>1 (H, He, Li, Be and B particles) at different depths of the water phantom before and after the Bragg peak and the angular distribution of these particles have been investigated by this model. The particle abundance graph shows that particle production decreases with an increasing atomic number. H and He particles are the most abundant and their range is much broader than the range of primary carbon ions. Also, according to the angular distribution diagram, H and He particles have shown a much wider distribution. This is because they have the highest dose of deposition in the area outside the treatment field. Also, with increasing atomic numbers, the angular distribution decreases.

Highlights

  1. D. Cussol, Nuclear physics and hadrontherapy, École Joliot-Curie de Physique Nucélaire, 12 (2011).

 

  1. E. Haettner, et al, Experimental study of nuclear fragmentation of 200 and 400 MeV/u 12C ions in water for applications in particle therapy, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 58(23), 8265 (2013).

 

  1. Geant4 - a toolkit for the simulation of the passage of particles through matter, http://wwwasd.web.cern. ch/wwwasd/geant4/geant4. html.

 

  1. S.G. Mashnik, et al., Recent developments of the cascade-exaction model of nuclear reactions, Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 39(sup2), 720-725 (2002).

 

  1. J. Cugnon, C. Volant, S. Vuillier, Improved intranuclear cascade model for nucleon-nucleus interactions, Nuclear Physics A, 620(4), 475-509 (1997).

 

  1. J. Aichelin, “Quantum” molecular dynamics—a dynamical microscopic n-body approach to investigate fragment formation and the nuclear equation of state in heavy ion collisions, Physics Reports, 202(5-6), 233-360 (1991).

 

  1. A. Boudard, et al, New Potentialities of the Liege Intranuclear Cascade (INCL) Model for Reactions Induced by Nucleons and Light Charged Particles, Physical Review C, 87, 014606-014634 (2012).

 

  1. G. Folger, V.N. Ivanchenko, J.P. Wellisch, The binary cascade, The European Physical Journal A-Hadrons and Nuclei, 21(3), 407-417(2004).

 

  1. A. Lechner, V.N. Ivanchenko, J. Knobloch, Validation of recent Geant4 physics models for application in carbon ion therapy, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 268(14), 2343-2354 (2010).

 

  1. H.D. Maccabee, M.A. Ritter, Fragmentation of high-energy oxygen-ion beams in water, Radiation Research, 60(3), 409-421 (1974).

 

  1. W. Schimmerling, et al, The Fragmentation of 670A MeV Neon-20 as a Function of Depth in Water: I. Experiment, Radiation Research, 120(1), 36-71 (1989).

 

  1. J. Llacer, J.B. Schmidt, C.A. Tobias, Characterization of fragmented heavy-ion beams using a three-stage telescope detector: measurements of 670-MeV/amu 20Ne beams, Med. Phys., 17, 151–57 (1990).

 

  1. B. Braunn, et al, Nuclear reaction measurements of 95 MeV/u 12C interactions on PMMA for hadrontherapy, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 269(22), 2676-2684 (2011).

 

  1. E. Haettner, et al, Experimental study of nuclear fragmentation of 200 and 400 MeV/u 12C ions in water for applications in particle therapy, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 58(23), 8265 (2013).

 

  1. H. Stocker, W. Greiner, Phys. Rep., 137, 277 (1986).

 

  1. J. Aichelin, H. Stocker, Phys. Lett. B, 176, 14 (1986).

 

17.https://geant4userdoc.web.cern.ch/UsersGuides/PhysicsReferenceManual/html/index.html.

 

  1. J. Allison, et al., Recent developments in Geant4, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 835, 186-225 (2016).

 

  1. R. Kaderka, et al, Out-of-field dose measurements in a water phantom using different radiotherapy modalities, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 57(16), 5059 (2012).

Keywords

Geant4 toolkit
Hadron therapy
Heavy nuclei
QMD model
  1. D. Cussol, Nuclear physics and hadrontherapy, École Joliot-Curie de Physique Nucélaire, 12 (2011).

 

  1. E. Haettner, et al, Experimental study of nuclear fragmentation of 200 and 400 MeV/u 12C ions in water for applications in particle therapy, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 58(23), 8265 (2013).

 

  1. Geant4 - a toolkit for the simulation of the passage of particles through matter, http://wwwasd.web.cern. ch/wwwasd/geant4/geant4. html.

 

  1. S.G. Mashnik, et al., Recent developments of the cascade-exaction model of nuclear reactions, Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 39(sup2), 720-725 (2002).

 

  1. J. Cugnon, C. Volant, S. Vuillier, Improved intranuclear cascade model for nucleon-nucleus interactions, Nuclear Physics A, 620(4), 475-509 (1997).

 

  1. J. Aichelin, “Quantum” molecular dynamics—a dynamical microscopic n-body approach to investigate fragment formation and the nuclear equation of state in heavy ion collisions, Physics Reports, 202(5-6), 233-360 (1991).

 

  1. A. Boudard, et al, New Potentialities of the Liege Intranuclear Cascade (INCL) Model for Reactions Induced by Nucleons and Light Charged Particles, Physical Review C, 87, 014606-014634 (2012).

 

  1. G. Folger, V.N. Ivanchenko, J.P. Wellisch, The binary cascade, The European Physical Journal A-Hadrons and Nuclei, 21(3), 407-417(2004).

 

  1. A. Lechner, V.N. Ivanchenko, J. Knobloch, Validation of recent Geant4 physics models for application in carbon ion therapy, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 268(14), 2343-2354 (2010).

 

  1. H.D. Maccabee, M.A. Ritter, Fragmentation of high-energy oxygen-ion beams in water, Radiation Research, 60(3), 409-421 (1974).

 

  1. W. Schimmerling, et al, The Fragmentation of 670A MeV Neon-20 as a Function of Depth in Water: I. Experiment, Radiation Research, 120(1), 36-71 (1989).

 

  1. J. Llacer, J.B. Schmidt, C.A. Tobias, Characterization of fragmented heavy-ion beams using a three-stage telescope detector: measurements of 670-MeV/amu 20Ne beams, Med. Phys., 17, 151–57 (1990).

 

  1. B. Braunn, et al, Nuclear reaction measurements of 95 MeV/u 12C interactions on PMMA for hadrontherapy, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 269(22), 2676-2684 (2011).

 

  1. E. Haettner, et al, Experimental study of nuclear fragmentation of 200 and 400 MeV/u 12C ions in water for applications in particle therapy, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 58(23), 8265 (2013).

 

  1. H. Stocker, W. Greiner, Phys. Rep., 137, 277 (1986).

 

  1. J. Aichelin, H. Stocker, Phys. Lett. B, 176, 14 (1986).

 

17.https://geant4userdoc.web.cern.ch/UsersGuides/PhysicsReferenceManual/html/index.html.

 

  1. J. Allison, et al., Recent developments in Geant4, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 835, 186-225 (2016).

 

  1. R. Kaderka, et al, Out-of-field dose measurements in a water phantom using different radiotherapy modalities, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 57(16), 5059 (2012).
Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
Volume 44, Issue 3 - Serial Number 105
October 2023
Pages 159-164

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