Neutron H*(10) inside a proton therapy facility: comparison between Monte Carlo simulations and WENDI-2 measurements

Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2014 Oct;161(1-4):417-21. doi: 10.1093/rpd/nct289. Epub 2013 Nov 19.

Abstract

Inside an IBA proton therapy centre, secondary neutrons are produced due to nuclear interactions of the proton beam with matter mainly inside the cyclotron, the beam line, the treatment nozzle and the patient. Accurate measurements of the neutron ambient dose equivalent H*(10) in such a facility require the use of a detector that has a good sensitivity for neutrons ranging from thermal energies up to 230 MeV, such as for instance the WENDI-2 detector. WENDI-2 measurements have been performed at the Westdeutsches Protonentherapiezentrum Essen, at several positions around the cyclotron room and around a gantry treatment room operated in two different beam delivery modes: Pencil Beam Scanning and Double Scattering. These measurements are compared with Monte Carlo simulation results for the neutron H*(10) obtained with MCNPX 2.5.0 and GEANT4 9.6.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Calibration
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cyclotrons
  • Facility Design and Construction
  • Germany
  • Humans
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Neutrons*
  • Proton Therapy / methods*
  • Protons
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiometry / instrumentation*
  • Radiometry / methods*
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Scattering, Radiation

Substances

  • Protons