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Analysis of institutional authors

Garcia-Fernandez, GfCorresponding AuthorGallego, EAuthorGarcia Baonza, RobertoAuthor

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March 15, 2021
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Neutron dosimetry and shielding verification in commissioning of Compact Proton Therapy Centers (CPTC) using MCNP6.2 Monte Carlo code

Publicated to: APPLIED RADIATION AND ISOTOPES. 169 109279- - 2021-03-01 169(), DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109279

Authors:

Garcia-Fernandez, Gonzalo F; Gallego, Eduardo; Gomez-Ros, Jose M; Vega-Carrillo, Hector R; Garcia-Baonza, Roberto; Cevallos-Robalino, Lenin E; Guzman-Garcia, Karen A
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Affiliations

AORTech, Reserch Dept, C Purisima 227, Zacatecas 98085, Zacatecas, Mexico - Author
Biol & Tecn Radiac SL Bioterra SL, Camino Perdigones 2, Madrid 28224, Spain - Author
Ctr Invest Energet Medioambientales & Tecnol CIEM, Avda Complutense 22, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author
Univ Autonoma Zacatecas, Unidad Acad Estudios Nucl, C Cipres 10, Zacatecas 98060, Zacatecas, Mexico - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Dept Ingn Energet, ETSI Ind, C Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Salesiana, Grp Invest Sistemas Control & Robot, GISCOR, C Robles 107 Chambers, Guayaquil 090108, Ecuador - Author
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Abstract

Proton therapy (PT) is an external radiotherapy using proton beams with energies between 70 and 230 MeV to treat some type of tumours with outstanding benefits, due to its energy transfer plot. There is a growing demand of facilities taking up small spaces and Compact Proton Therapy Centers (CPTC), with one or two treatment rooms, supposing the technical response of manufacturers to this request. A large amount of stray radiation is produced in the interaction of protons used in therapy, neutrons mainly, hence, optimal design of shielding and verifications must be carried out in commissioning stages. Currently, almost 50 CPTC are under construction and start up in many countries, including several in Spain. In the present work, the effectiveness of shielding in a CPTC was verified with the Monte Carlo code MCNP6 by calculating the ambient dose equivalent, H*(10) due to secondary neutrons, outside the enclosures and walls of the center. The facility modelled was similar to one planned to start operating in 2019 in Spain, a CPTC, made up of a superconducting synchrocyclotron and one treatment mom, with a configuration standard, shielding and width of barriers based on dimensions proposed a priori by the vendor. Therefore, the paper is focused in check the suitability of the materials and thickness of the walls of the center and develop the assessment of enclosures. Several models of the radiation sources and type of concrete in walls were simulated, starting from a conservative assumptions, followed by more realistic models. In all cases, the results were below 1 mSv/year, which is the international legal limit considered for the general public. This work is part of the project Contributions to Shielding and Dosimetry of Neutrons in Compact Proton Therapy Centers (CPTC).
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Keywords

Ambient dose equivalentArticleClinical effectivenessCompact proton therapy centerCompact proton therapy centersConcreteControlled studyDosimetryEnclosuresEnergy transferExternal radiotherapyGeneral publicsHealth care facilityHumanHumansMaximum permissible doseMcnp6.2Monte carlo codesMonte carlo methodMonte carlo methodsNeutronNeutron dosimetryNeutron irradiationNeutronsOperational radiation protectionPriority journalProton beam therapyProton beamsProton therapyRadiation doseRadiation protectionRadiation shieldingRadiation sourceRadiotherapy dosageRealistic modelSecondary neutronsShielding commissioningSpainThicknessUncertainty

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal APPLIED RADIATION AND ISOTOPES due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2021, it was in position 15/34, thus managing to position itself as a Q2 (Segundo Cuartil), in the category Nuclear Science & Technology. Notably, the journal is positioned en el Cuartil Q3 para la agencia Scopus (SJR) en la categoría Radiation.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations from Scopus Elsevier, it yields a value for the Field-Weighted Citation Impact from the Scopus agency: 1.72, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 13, 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2026-04-27, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 10
  • Scopus: 15
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Impact and social visibility

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://oa.upm.es/87236/

As a result of the publication of the work in the institutional repository, statistical usage data has been obtained that reflects its impact. In terms of dissemination, we can state that, as of

  • Views: 175
  • Downloads: 101
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Ecuador; Mexico.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (GARCIA FERNANDEZ, GONZALO FELIPE) .

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been GARCIA FERNANDEZ, GONZALO FELIPE.

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Awards linked to the item

This work has been developed under the industrial Doctorate Program IND2017/AMB-7797, Contributions to Shielding and Dosimetry of Neutrons in CPTC, funded by Madrid Autonomous Region (CM).
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