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@ARTICLE{Freitas:299796,
      author       = {H. Freitas$^*$ and E. Nobakht$^*$ and F. Grüner and J.
                      Seco$^*$},
      title        = {{A} comparative analysis of {GEANT}4, {MCNP}6 and {FLUKA}
                      on proton-induced gamma-ray simulation.},
      journal      = {Medical physics},
      volume       = {52},
      number       = {6},
      issn         = {0094-2405},
      address      = {Hoboken, NJ},
      publisher    = {Wiley},
      reportid     = {DKFZ-2025-00551},
      pages        = {4862-4870},
      year         = {2025},
      note         = {#EA:E041#LA:E041# / 2025 Jun;52(6):4862-4870},
      abstract     = {Precise range verification is essential in proton therapy
                      to minimize treatment margins due to the steep dose fall-off
                      of proton beams. The emission of secondary radiation from
                      nuclear reactions between incident particles and tissues
                      stands out as a promising method for range verification. Two
                      prominent techniques are PET and Prompt Gamma-Ray
                      Spectroscopy (PGS). PGS holds significant promise due to its
                      real-time capability for range monitoring. This method
                      allows for prompt detection and quantification of any
                      disparities between planned and actual dose delivery,
                      facilitating adaptive treatment strategies. Given the key
                      role of Monte Carlo (MC) codes in understanding the PGS
                      mechanisms during proton therapy, it is essential to address
                      the current lack of validated codes covering the full energy
                      spectrum of emitted gamma-rays.Addressing the need for
                      precise range monitoring in proton therapy, our study aims
                      to develop and validate MC codes for PGS. We focus on
                      analyse MCNP6, GEANT4, and FLUKA codes, conducting rigorous
                      validation process by comparing our simulation results with
                      experimental data. Additionally, we propose optimal models
                      and parameters to refine the accuracy of simulations for
                      prompt gamma-ray (PG) spectra.Various proton data libraries,
                      models and cross-sections values were used in this study to
                      simulate proton-induced gamma-rays in MCNP6, GEANT4 and
                      FLUKA. To validate these simulations, PGS spectra of 15.0 cm
                      3 $15.0 \,{\rm cm}^{3}$ PMMA block irradiation were obtained
                      with CeBr 3 ${\rm CeBr}_3$ inorganic scintillator detector
                      for different proton energies, raging from approximately 90
                      $\hskip.001pt 90$ to 130 MeV $130 \,{\rm MeV}$ .GEANT4 was
                      the only MC code capable of successfully reproducing 10 B
                      $^{10}{\rm B}$ PG lines, while the FLUKA aligned better with
                      experimental data for mid-range energies. At higher
                      energies, FLUKA overestimated the 12 C $^{12}{\rm C}$ PG
                      line ( 2 + → 0 + $2^{+} \rightarrow 0^{+}$ ) at 4.44 MeV
                      $4.44 \,{\rm MeV}$ , whereas GEANT4 underestimated it; MCNP6
                      provided the closest match. Additionally, GEANT4, FLUKA, and
                      MCNP6 failed to accurately reproduce the 16 O $^{16}{\rm O}$
                      PG line ( 3 - → 0 + $3^{-} \rightarrow 0^{+}$ ) at 6.13
                      MeV $6.13 \,{\rm MeV}$ , consistent with previous findings.
                      To address this limitation, a new model based on
                      experimental and theoretical data from literature was
                      developed.This study emphasizes the need for updates to the
                      data tables in MC simulations and underscores the importance
                      of further theoretical and experimental research on PG
                      de-excitation lines relevant to proton therapy. The newly
                      developed model, designed to address discrepancies in the
                      simulation of 12 C $^{12}{\rm C}$ and 16 O $^{16}{\rm O}$
                      de-excitation lines across different toolkits, successfully
                      improved the accuracy of the oxygen de-excitation line,
                      which was previously not well-reproduced.},
      keywords     = {FLUKA (Other) / GEANT4 (Other) / MCNP6 (Other) / Monte
                      Carlo simulations (Other) / prompt gamma‐ray spectroscopy
                      (Other)},
      cin          = {E041},
      ddc          = {610},
      cid          = {I:(DE-He78)E041-20160331},
      pnm          = {315 - Bildgebung und Radioonkologie (POF4-315)},
      pid          = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-315},
      typ          = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
      pubmed       = {pmid:40066823},
      doi          = {10.1002/mp.17754},
      url          = {https://inrepo02.dkfz.de/record/299796},
}