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A MONTE CARLO STUDY OF THE NEUTRON AMBIENT DOSE EQUIVALENT FROM A PROTON PENCIL BEAM MEDICAL THERAPY UNIT

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Date Issued:
2023
Abstract/Description:
Proton Therapy, an effective cancer treatment, poses unintended consequences for patients and personnel due to secondary neutron production. This study investigates neutron attenuation in shielding materials like concrete using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to optimize shielding requirements. Experimental limitations, such as detector sensitivity, energy range response, and spatial resolution, lead to inaccurate evaluations. MC simulations address that by modeling radiation transport and neutron interactions with shielding materials. The TOPAS-MC code simulated secondary neutrons generated by a 226.5 MeV energy proton beam on a 30 cm diameter tissue-equivalent target. The target was placed in a 200 cm spherical concrete shell with a 100 cm inner radius and 2.3 g/cm3 density. Energy deposition and particle fluence were scored in 20 radial points across 18 angular positions, and the mean value per particle was estimated. Neutron fluence to ambient dose equivalent conversion coefficients from ICRU Report No. 95 were used to calculate the total dose equivalent values, which were scaled based on distance and concrete shield thickness.
Title: A MONTE CARLO STUDY OF THE NEUTRON AMBIENT DOSE EQUIVALENT FROM A PROTON PENCIL BEAM MEDICAL THERAPY UNIT.
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Name(s): Llanes, Alejandro Rene Lopez, author
Muhammad, Wazir , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Physics
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2023
Date Issued: 2023
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 78 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Proton Therapy, an effective cancer treatment, poses unintended consequences for patients and personnel due to secondary neutron production. This study investigates neutron attenuation in shielding materials like concrete using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to optimize shielding requirements. Experimental limitations, such as detector sensitivity, energy range response, and spatial resolution, lead to inaccurate evaluations. MC simulations address that by modeling radiation transport and neutron interactions with shielding materials. The TOPAS-MC code simulated secondary neutrons generated by a 226.5 MeV energy proton beam on a 30 cm diameter tissue-equivalent target. The target was placed in a 200 cm spherical concrete shell with a 100 cm inner radius and 2.3 g/cm3 density. Energy deposition and particle fluence were scored in 20 radial points across 18 angular positions, and the mean value per particle was estimated. Neutron fluence to ambient dose equivalent conversion coefficients from ICRU Report No. 95 were used to calculate the total dose equivalent values, which were scaled based on distance and concrete shield thickness.
Identifier: FA00014213 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (PSM)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Proton Therapy
Monte Carlo simulation
Neutrons
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014213
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU