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SU‐GG‐J‐129: Monte Carlo Calculations of Secondary Electron Spectra for Various Mixtures of Gold and Water Mimicking Tumors Loaded with Gold Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Jones B,
Cho S
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.2961678
Subject(s) - colloidal gold , monte carlo method , secondary electrons , photoelectric effect , electron , spectral line , materials science , secondary emission , nanoparticle , physics , nanotechnology , nuclear physics , optoelectronics , statistics , mathematics , astronomy
Purpose: To determine the change in secondary electron spectrum due to gold nanoparticles present in a tumor under a treatment scenario of gold nanoparticle‐aided radiation therapy ( GNRT ). Method and Materials: The Monte Carlo code, EGSnrc, was modified to obtain the spectrum of secondary electrons. Simulations were performed with a water phantom containing a small gold‐loaded region at various gold concentration levels (0.1–3%). The atom of origin and energy of each Compton and photoelectron was tracked, yielding the secondary electron spectrum of gold and water for each simulation. Results: The presence of gold caused a significant increase in the number of photoelectrons generated. With 0.1%, 1%, and 3% gold in the region of interest, the total energy transferred to electrons through the photoelectric and Compton processes increased by 1.5%, 15%, and 49%, respectively. Conclusion: The spectra generated in this study are helpful for a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for dose enhancement within a gold‐loaded tumor during GNRT . They can also be used as inputs for detailed history Monte Carlo calculations to perform a nanodosimetric estimation of tumor dose enhancement in the vicinity of a gold nanoparticle.