Energy deposition by high energy protons: Comparison of theory and experiment

The ability of the HETC computer code to calculate energy deposited by proton beams of 0.3 to 28.5 GeV in composite targets was evaluated by comparing calculated results with experimental data. The experimental assembly consisted of U238 shower plates separated by an air gap from a CH2/U238 detector plate. For protons in the range 0.8 to 5 GeV. HETC data on energy deposited can be considered accurate to a few tens of percent or better for the shower-plate part of the assembly and to better than fifty percent for the moderator/detector plate. The calculated fission density data may be assumed to be of similar quality. At higher energies HETC data must be used with caution, but not suspicion. Because these assemblies provide a severe test of the calculational model, and in view of the overall quality of the comparisons, the agreement between measured and calculated values may be judged excellent and serves as an absolute validation of the values quoted here for energy deposited in such physical configurations.