MICRODOSIMETRIC SIMULATIONS OF CARBON IONS USING THE MONTE CARLO CODE FLUKA

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Nuclear Physics

Background:

• Therapeutic carbon ion beams create complex radiation fields due to energy loss and nuclear fragmentation.
• Accurate characterization of these fields is crucial for effective radiation therapy.
• Mini tissue-equivalent proportional counters (mini-TEPCs) are precise instruments for microdosimetric measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare experimental microdosimetry data with FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations.
• To validate FLUKA's nuclear cross-section and fragmentation models for carbon ions.
• To assess the accuracy of simulating radiation fields in the Bragg peak region.

Main Methods:

• Experimental measurement of microdosimetric spectra using a mini-TEPC.
• Numerical simulation of 12C ion interactions using the FLUKA Monte Carlo code.
• Comparison of experimental and simulated data for 189.5 MeV/u 12C ions at the Bragg peak.

Main Results:

• FLUKA simulations show good agreement with experimental microdosimetric spectra.
• The study provides benchmark data for validating computational models.
• Discrepancies highlight areas for refinement in nuclear models within FLUKA.

Conclusions:

• FLUKA is a reliable tool for simulating carbon ion microdosimetry.
• Experimental data is essential for benchmarking and improving simulation accuracy.
• Accurate simulations support the optimization of carbon ion therapy planning.