title: Monte Carlo simulations of a novel Micromegas 2D array for proton dosimetry.
abstract: Modern proton therapy affords control of the delivery of radiotherapeutic dose on fine length and temporal scales. The authors have developed a novel detector technology based on Micromesh Gaseous Structure (Micromegas) that is uniquely tailored for applications using therapeutic proton beams. An implementation of a prototype Micromegas detector for Monte Carlo using Geant4 is presented here. Comparison of simulation results with measurements demonstrates agreement in relative dose along the proton longitudinal dose profile to be 1%. The effect of a radioactive calibration source embedded in the chamber gas is demonstrated by measurements and reproduced by simulations, also at the 1% level. Our Monte Carlo simulations are shown to reproduce the time structure of ionization pulses produced by a double-scattering delivery system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dolney
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ainsley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hollebeek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maughan
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D061766:Proton Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011522:Protons; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D011522:Protons