Benchmarking Heavy Ion Transport Codes FLUKA, HETC-HEDS MARS15, MCNPX, and PHITS (original) (raw)

Features of Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) version 3.02

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology

We have upgraded many features of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) and released the new version as PHITS3.02. The accuracy and the applicable energy ranges of the code were greatly improved and extended, respectively, owing to the revisions to the nuclear reaction models and the incorporation of new atomic interaction models. Both condense history and track-structure methods were implemented to handle the electron and positron transport, although the latter is reliable only for simulations in liquid water. In addition, several usersupportive functions were developed, such as new tallies to efficiently obtain statistically better results, radioisotope source-generation function, and software tools useful for applying PHITS to medical physics. Owing to the continuous improvement and promotion of the code, the number of registered users has exceeded 3,000, and it is being used in diverse areas of study, including accelerator design, radiation shielding and protection, medical physics, and cosmic-ray research. In this paper, we summarize the basic features of PHITS3.02, especially those of the physics models and the functions implemented after the release of PHITS2.52 in 2013.

Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System, PHITS, version 2.52

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 2013

An upgraded version of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System, PHITS2.52, was developed and released to the public. The new version has been greatly improved from the previously released version, PHITS2.24, in terms of not only the code itself but also the contents of its package, such as the attached data libraries. In the new version, a higher accuracy of simulation was achieved by implementing several latest nuclear reaction models. The reliability of the simulation was improved by modifying both the algorithms for the electron-, positron-, and photon-transport simulations and the procedure for calculating the statistical uncertainties of the tally results. Estimation of the time evolution of radioactivity became feasible by incorporating the activation calculation program DCHAIN-SP into the new package. The efficiency of the simulation was also improved as a result of the implementation of shared-memory parallelization and the optimization of several time-consuming algorithms. Furthermore, a number of new user-support tools and functions that help users to intuitively and effectively perform PHITS simulations were developed and incorporated. Due to these improvements, PHITS is now a more powerful tool for particle transport simulation applicable to various research and development fields, such as nuclear technology, accelerator design, medical physics, and cosmic-ray research.

PHITS—a particle and heavy ion transport code system

Radiation Measurements, 2006

The paper presents a summary of the recent development of the multi-purpose Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System, PHITS. In particular, we discuss in detail the development of two new models, JAM and JQMD, for high energy particle interactions, incorporated in PHITS, and show comparisons between model calculations and experiments for the validations of these models. The paper presents three applications of the code including spallation neutron source, heavy ion therapy and space radiation. The results and examples shown indicate PHITS has great ability of carrying out the radiation transport analysis of almost all particles including heavy ions within a wide energy range.

Development of heavy ion transport Monte Carlo code

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 2001

We measured angular energy spectra of secondary neutrons from large Cu and Pb targets bombarded by 400 MeV/nucleon Fe ions to obtain the benchmark data for the newly-developed heavy ion transport Monte Carlo code HETC-CYRIC. The HETC-CYRIC code is made by incorporating a heavy ion reaction calculation routine, which consists of the HIC code, the SPAR code, and the Shen's formula, into the hadron transport Monte Carlo code HETC-3STEP. The results calculated with the HETC-CYRIC were compared with the measured data and the HETC-CYRIC gave good agreement with the experiment.

Heavy-ion target physics and design in the USA

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2005

We present data and simulations of our first experiment to test shims as a method for improving symmetry in indirect drive targets. In the first set of experiments, we succeeded in reversing a P 2 from a capsule waist high drive to a capsule pole high drive. Shims are an important target design feature in the heavy-ion ''hybrid'' target. To help with optimizing a heavy-ion fusion power plant based on the hybrid target, we also calculated gain curves for this target. In addition, we are using analytic theory to test our computational models of nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor instability bubble growth in converging geometry. This will give confidence in computational models as we push the capsule into areas of parameter space that are easier for the other parts of the power plant (accelerator, target fabrication) but have less margin and more instability growth. r

Heavy Ion Track-Structure Calculations for Radial Dose in Arbitrary Materials

2003

The d-ray theory of track structure is compared with experimental data for the radial dose from heavy ion irradiation. The effects of electron transmission and the angular dependence of secondary electron ejection are 95 included in the calculations. Several empirical formulas for electron range and energy are compared in a wide variety of materials in order to extend the application of the track-structure theory. The model of Rudd for the U secondary electronspectrum in proton collisions, which is based on a U modified classical kinematics binary encounter model at high energies and a 34 molecular promotion model at low energies, is employed. For heavier en projectiles, the secondary electron spectrum is found by scaling the effective on charge. Radial dose calculations for carbon, water, silicon, and gold are discussed. The theoretical data agreed well with the experimental data.

Evaluation of dose level in a laser-driven ion accelerator using PHITS code

Progress in nuclear science and technology, 2014

The laser-driven particle accelerator has become attractive in view of recent progress in laser-handling techniques and the development of various target materials. To develop a laser-driven accelerator, it is necessary to establish a benchmark for the difference between the simulated and measured radiation shielding level. The Monte Carlo particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS) was used to establish the benchmark dose for a laser-driven cluster-target-type accelerator. The result was in good agreement with the measurement data.

Validation of a multi-layer Green's function code for ion beam transport

To meet the challenge of future deep space programs, an accurate and efficient engineering code for analyzing the shielding requirements against high-energy galactic heavy ion radiation is needed. In consequence, a new version of the HZETRN code capable of simulating high charge and energy (HZE) ions with either laboratory or space boundary conditions is currently under development. This code, GRNTRN, is based on a Green's function approach to the solution of the one-dimensional Boltzmann transport equation and like its predecessor is deterministic in nature. The computational model consists of the lowest order asymptotic approximation followed by a Neumann series expansion with non-perturbative corrections. The physical description includes energy loss with straggling, nuclear attenuation, nuclear fragmentation with energy dispersion and down shift. Code validation in the laboratory environment is addressed by showing that GRNTRN accurately predicts energy loss spectra as measured by solid-state detectors in ion beam experiments with multi-layer targets. In order to verify and benchmark the code with space boundary conditions, measured particle fluxes are propagated through several thicknesses of shielding using both GRNTRN and the current version of HZETRN. The favorable agreement obtained indicates that GRNTRN accurately models the propagation of HZE ions in laboratory settings. It also compares very well with the extensively validated space environment HZETRN code and thus provides verification of the HZETRN propagator.

Ions for LHC: Beam Physics and Engineering Challenges

Particle Accelerator, IEEE Conference, 2005

The first phase of the heavy ion physics program at the LHC aims to provide lead-lead collisions at energies of 5.5 TeV per colliding nucleon pair and ion-ion luminosity of 1027cm-2s-1. The transformation of CERN’s ion injector complex (Linac3-LEIR-PS-SPS) presents a number of beam physics and engineering challenges, which are described in this paper. In the LHC itself, there are fundamental performance limitations due to various beam loss mechanisms. To study these without risk of damage there will be an initial period of operation with a reduced number of nominal intensity bunches. While reducing the work required to commission the LHC with ions in 2008, this will still enable early physics discoveries.