Simulation of induced radioactivity for a heavy ion medical machine

Abstract

The radioactivity induced by carbon ions of the Heavy Ion Medical Machine (HIMM) was studied to asses its radiation protection and environmental impact. Radionuclides in the accelerator component, and in the cooling water and air at the target area, which are induced from primary beam and secondary particles, are simulated by FLUKA Monte Carlo code. It is found that radioactivity in the cooling water and air is not very important at the required beam intensity and energy that is needed for treatment, while radionuclides in the accelerator component may cause some problems for maintenance work and, therefore, a suitable cooling time is needed after the machine is shut down.