[Gate-users] Proton Boron Fusion

[Saeed Bagherzadeh]

Hi,

I am trying to quantify the amplification of Bragg-peak in an 80 MeV proton
beam when a layer of boron inserted in the location of the peak. I have
set-up a simple water phantom geometry(10*10*10 cm) with a layer of boron
(6*6*1 cm) inserted at a depth of 5.2 cm (where the Bragg-peak occur). I
can't observe any difference in the intensity of the peak when boron layer
is existent.

Proton boron fusion reaction should occur within boron layer. After the
proton reacts with the boron (11B), the boron changes to carbon (12C) in an
excited state. The excited carbon nucleus is split into an alpha particle
of 3.76 MeV and beryllium (8Be). Subsequently, the beryllium is divided
into the two alpha particles of 2.74 MeV each.

I set tracking verbose to 1 and noticed that only about 10 alphas are
generated when 100000 protons were fired. Even though, the energy
deposition of alphas did not occur at around the same position as expected
for such reaction. So I assume I am not picking up proton fusion reaction
at all.

I am using QGSP_BIC_HP package. Proton cut-value was set to 1 micron (100
eV) which is well below the cross-section for this reaction.

I would very much appreciate if you could support. I have been stuck for a
while and it is a simple set-up and I have ran out of idea what to change.

Many thanks, Saeed

-- 
Saeed Bagherzadeh
Ph.D. Candidate
Medical Physics

E-mail: saeedbagherzadeh92 at gmail.com
saeedbagherzadeh at modares.ac.ir
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