• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2009

A Compton camera, which is based on Compton kinematics, is a very promising gamma-ray imaging device in that it could overcome the limitations of the conventional gamma-ray imaging devices. In the present study, the image quality of a rotating Compton camera was evaluated by using 4-D Monte Carlo simulation technique and the applicability to nuclear industrial applications was examined. It was found that Compton images were significantly improved when the Compton camera rotates around a gamma-ray source. It was also found that the 3-D imaging capability of a Compton camera could enable us to accurately determine the 3-D location of radioactive contamination in a concrete wall for decommissioning purpose of nuclear facilities. The 4-D Monte Carlo simulation technique, which was applied to the Compton camera fields for the first time, could be also used to model the time-dependent geometry for various applications.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.143-154
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• 1997

Astochastic finite element model which reflects both the effect of discontinuities and the uncertainty of material properties in underground rock mass has been developed. Latin Hypercube Sampling technique has been mobilized and compared with the Monte Carlo simulation method. To consider the effect of discontinuities, the joint finite element model, which is known to be suitable to explain faults, cleavage, things of that nature, has been used in this study. To reflect the uncertainty of material properties, multi-random variables are assumed as the joint normal stiffness and the joint shear stiffness, which could be simulated in terms of normal distribution. The developed computer program in this study has been verified by practical example and has been applied to analyze the circular cavern with discontinuous rock mass.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.193-199
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• 2000

As an energetic focused-ion beam(FIB) is irradiated on an inorganic amorphous thin film a majority of ions without a reflection at surface, is randomly collided with constituent atoms in thin film. but their distribution exhibits generally a systematic form of distribution. In our previous paper we reported the concentration distribution and the transmission per unit depth of Ga$^{+}$ ions penetrated int a-Se$_{75}$ /Ge$_{25}$ thin film using the LSS-based calculation. In this paper these simulated results are compared with those obtained by a conventional profile code(ISC) and a practical SIMS profile. Then the results of LSS-based calculation have only a small difference with those of code and SIMS Especially. in the case of Ga$^{+}$-FIB with an accelerating energy of 15keV. the depth of the maximum ion concentration is coincident with each other in an error range of $\pm$5$\AA$.EX>.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.111-121
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• 2007

The paper presents a reliability-based method that can capture the impact of uncertainty of seismic loadings. The proposed method incorporates probabilistic concepts into the classical limit equilibrium and the Newmark-type deformation techniques. The risk of damage is then computed by Monte Carlo simulation. Random process and RMS hazard method are introduced to produce seismic motions and also to use them in the seismic slope analyses. The geotechnical variability and sampling errors are also considered. The results of reliability analyses indicate that in a highly seismically active region, characterization of earthquake hazard is the more critical factor, and characterization of soil properties has a relatively small effect on the computed risk of slope failure and excessive slope deformations. The results can be applicable to both circular and non-circular slip surface failure modes.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.190-197
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• 2011

Currently, the dose distribution calculation used by commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) for high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is derived from point and line source approximation method recommended by AAPM Task Group 43 (TG-43). However, the study of Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is required in order to assess the accuracy of dose calculation around three-dimensional Ir-192 source. In this study, geometry factor was calculated using segmented sources integration method by dividing microSelectron HDR Ir-192 source into smaller parts. The Monte Carlo code (MCNPX 2.5.0) was used to calculate the dose rate $\dot{D}(r,\theta)$ at a point ($r,\theta$) away from a HDR Ir-192 source in spherical water phantom with 30 cm diameter. Finally, anisotropy function and radial dose function were calculated from obtained results. The obtained geometry factor was compared with that calculated from line source approximation. Similarly, obtained anisotropy function and radial dose function were compared with those derived from MCPT results by Williamson. The geometry factor calculated from segmented sources integration method and line source approximation was within 0.2% for $r{\geq}0.5$ cm and 1.33% for r=0.1 cm, respectively. The relative-root mean square error (R-RMSE) of anisotropy function obtained by this study and Williamson was 2.33% for r=0.25 cm and within 1% for r>0.5 cm, respectively. The R-RMSE of radial dose function was 0.46% at radial distance from 0.1 to 14.0 cm. The geometry factor acquired from segmented sources integration method and line source approximation was in good agreement for $r{\geq}0.1$ cm. However, application of segmented sources integration method seems to be valid, since this method using three-dimensional Ir-192 source provides more realistic geometry factor. The anisotropy function and radial dose function estimated from MCNPX in this study and MCPT by Williamson are in good agreement within uncertainty of Monte Carlo codes except at radial distance of r=0.25 cm. It is expected that Monte Carlo code used in this study could be applied to other sources utilized for brachytherapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.791-799
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• 2019

We evaluated the physical properties that occur to dose enhancement and changes from secondary particle production resulting from the interaction between enhancement material. Geant4 was used to perform a Monte Carlo simulation, and the medical internal radiation dose (MIRD) head phantom were employed. X-rays of 4, 6, 10, 15, 18, and 25 MV were used. Aurum (Au) and gadolinium (Gd) were applied within the tumor volume at 10, 20, and 30 mg/g, and an experiment using soft tissue exclusively was concomitantly performed for comparison. Also, particle fluence and initial kinetic energy of secondary particle of interaction were measured to calculate equivalent doses using the radiation weight factor. The properties of physical interaction by the radiation enhancement material showed the great increased in photoelectric effect as compared to the compton scattering and pair production, occurred with the highest, in aurum and gadolinium it is shown in common. The photonuclear effect frequency increased as the energy increased, thereby increasing secondary particle production, including alpha particles, protons, and neutrons. During dose enhancement using aurum, a maximum 424.25-fold increase in the equivalent dose due to neutrons was observed. This study was Monte Carlo simulation corresponds to the physical process of energy transmission in dose enhancement. Its results may be used as a basis for future in vivo and in vitro experiments aiming to improve effects of dose enhancement.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2000

The IP(imaging plate) has been widely used to measure the two-dimensional distribution of incident radiation since it has a high sensitivity, reusability, a wide dynamic range, a high position resolution. Particularly, the easiness of acquiring digitized image using IP poses a strong merit because recent trend of data handling prefers image digitization. In order to test its usefulness in photon beam dosimetry, we measured the off-axis ratio(OAR) on portal planes and percent depth dose(PDD) within a phantom using IP, and compared the results with the data based on EGS4 Monte Carlo particle transport code, ion-chambers, conventional films. For the measurement, we used 6 MV X-rays, various field sizes. As a result, IP showed significant deviation from ion-chamber measurement: a significant overresponse, 100% greater than that of ion-chamber measurement at deep part of the phantom. Filtration of low-energy scattered photons at deep part of the phantom using 0.5 mm thick lead sheets did improve the result, only to the unacceptable extent. However, portal dose measurement showed possibilities of If as a dosimeter by showing errors less than 5%, as compared with film measurement.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.247-255
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• 2008

A coded aperture camera has been developed to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while keeping the spatial resolution of a pinhole gamma camera. The purpose of this study was to optimize a coded aperture camera and to evaluate its possibility for thyroid imaging by Monte Carlo simulation. A clinical gamma camera, a pinhole collimator with 1.0 mm hole diameter, and a $79{\times}79$ modified uniformly redundant array (MURA) mask were designed using GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission). The penetration ratio, spatial resolution, integral uniformity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were simulated and evaluated as a function of the mask thickness. The spatial resolution of the coded aperture camera was consistent with the various mask thickness, SNR showed a maximum value at 1.2 mm mask thickness and integral uniformity was improved by increasing mask thickness. Compare to the pinhole gamma camera, the coded aperture camera showed improved SNR by a factor of 30 while keeping almost the same spatial resolution. In this simulation study, the results indicated that high spatial resolution and ultra-high SNR of the thyroid imaging are feasible using a coded aperture camera.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2017

Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess dose enhancement effects for 60-, 90-, 120-, and 150-kV X-rays, and for 6- and 15-MV X-rays. The MCNPX code was used for a computer simulation of the ICRU slab phantom, and gold, gadolinium, and iron oxide (Fe2O3) were employed as dose enhancement agents. In consideration of the buildup region of the incident energy, agent concentrations of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/g were inserted on the surface of the phantom at a depth of 5 cm. Based on baseline values obtained in the absence of dose enhancement agents, a quantitative analysis was performed by evaluating depth-dependent changes in the absorbed energy and the dose enhancement factor (DEF). A higher concentration of dose enhancement agents led to a greater dose enhancement effect with iron oxide, gadolinium, and gold in descending order. For kilovoltage (kV) X-rays, as the incident energy was decreased and as the energy became closer to the ionization potential of the atoms in the enhancement agent, the dose enhancement effect increased. In the megavoltage (MV) X-ray range, dose enhancement was higher at 6 MV compared with 15 MV. However, the overall dose enhancements were significantly lower compared to the results obtained with kV X-rays.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2017

Dose enhancement effects at megavoltage (MV) X and ${\gamma}-ray$ energies, and the effects of different energy levels on incident energy, dose enhancement agents, and concentrations were analyzed using Monte Carlo simulations. Gold, gadolinium, Iodine, and iron oxide ($Fe_2O_3$) were compared as dose enhancement agents. For incident energy, 4, 6, 10 and 15 MV X-ray spectra produced by a linear accelerator and a Co-60 ${\gamma}-ray$ were used. The dose enhancement factor (DEF) was calculated using an ICRU Slab phantom for concentrations of 7, 18, and 30 mg/g. The DEF was higher at higher concentrations of dose enhancement agents and at lower incident energies. The calculated DEF ranged from 1.035 to 1.079, and dose enhancement effects were highest for iron oxide, followed by iodine, gadolinium, and gold. Thus, this study contributes to improving the therapeutic ratio by delivering larger doses of radiation to tumor volume, and provides data to support further in vivo and in vitro studies.