Validation of proton ionization cross section generators for Monte Carlo particle transport

TL;DR

This paper evaluates and compares three proton ionization cross section generators against experimental data, assessing their accuracy and discussing updates to related data libraries for particle transport simulations.

Contribution

It provides a validation and comparison of three theoretical cross section generators and discusses updates to a data library for PIXE simulation in Geant4.

Findings

Quantitative accuracy estimates of the generators.

Inter-comparison of the generators' outputs.

Discussion of data library updates for PIXE.

Abstract

Three software systems, ERCS08, ISICS 2011 and \v{S}mit's code, that implement theoretical calculations of inner shell ionization cross sections by proton impact, are validated with respect to experimental data. The accuracy of the cross sections they generate is quantitatively estimated and inter-compared through statistical methods. Updates and extensions of a cross section data library relevant to PIXE simulation with Geant4 are discussed.