Author:
Horst Felix,Ferrari Alfredo,Sala Paola,Schuy Christoph,Durante Marco,Weber Uli
Abstract
Abstract
Stopping power predictions in radiation transport codes are based on the Bethe-Bloch
formula and different corrections. For very heavy ions at relativistic energies the available
experimental data are scarce and therefore verification of stopping power predictions is only
possible to a limited extent.
In this work, a full experimental Bragg curve for
800 MeV/u 238U ions stopping in polyethylene is presented. The
measurements were conducted at the experimental area Cave A at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für
Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. The 800 MeV/u 238U beam was
provided by the SIS18 heavy ion synchrotron. The Bragg curve was measured with a setup consisting
of a binary range shifter and two large area parallel plate ionization chambers. Complementary
Monte Carlo simulations using the FLUKA code were performed and compared with the experimental
Bragg curve. The mean ionization potential of polyethylene was fine-tuned to match the measured
primary ion range with FLUKA simulations. The impact of the Bloch and Mott corrections to the
stopping power calculation were studied by switching them off intentionally in separate
simulations. A detailed description of the implementation of the stopping power formulae and the
Mott correction in FLUKA is provided.
Supplementary data for this article is available online.
Subject
Mathematical Physics,Instrumentation