GEANT4 simulation and evaluation of a time-of-flight spectrometer for nuclear cross section measurements in particle therapy [Elektronische Ressource] / Oxana Grünwald

GEANT4 simulation and evaluationof a time-of-flight spectrometerfor nuclear cross section measurementsin particle therapyVon der Fakultät für Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften der RWTHAachen University zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades einer Doktorin derNaturwissenschaften genehmigte Dissertation vorgelegt vonDipl.-Ing. (FH), M.Sc.OxanaGrünwaldaus Fabritschny (Kasachstan)Berichter:Univ.-Prof. Dr. Achim StahlUniv Dr. med. Michael J. EbleTag der mündlichen Prüfung: 08.06.2011Diese Dissertation ist auf den Internetseiten der Hochschulbibliothek online verfüg-bar.AbstractIn 2007 a new project has been launched in a cooperation between the RWTH AachenPhysics Department, the University Hospital Aachen and the Philips Research Labora-tories. The project aim is to validate and improve GEANT4 nuclear interaction modelsfor use in proton and ion therapy.The method chosen here is the measurement of nuclear reaction cross sections whichwill not only provide a comparison to the simulation but will also allow to improvesome of the parameters in the nuclear models. In the first phase of the project 200 MeVprotons are used as a projectile in combination with a thin graphite target. For use inparticle therapy the excitation functions of the most frequently produced isotopes needto be measured with an accuracy of 10% or less. For this purpose a dedicated detectorsystem has been designed and implemented in GEANT4.