source: trunk/ReleaseNotes/Beta4.9.2-1.txt @ 1358

                  Geant4 9.2-beta-01 Release Notes
                  --------------------------------

                                                            4 July 2008

List of main features and fixes included in this Beta release since 9.1.p02:

  o Configuration:
    -------------
    + Integrated improvements to Qt setup.
    + Embedded AIDA setup in central configuration scripts, simplified
      GNUmakefiles in examples.

  o Environments:
    ------------
    + Updated G4Py configure scripts and fixed some minor bugs.

  o Event
    -----
    + Fixed problem of out of bounds array access in G4SPSEneDistribution.
      Added accessors to G4SPSAngDistribution, addressing problem report #1013.

  o Geometry:
    --------
    + management:
      o G4Region: changed condition inside ScanVolumeTree() to check for the
        existence of a valid material-scanner pointer to apply the material
        scan instead of using the flag for nested structures.
      o G4GeometryManager: do not apply optimisation on the current volume
        if it has been defined as a regular structure.
      o Addresses problem report #990.
    + solids/CSG:
      o G4Tubs: fix in DistanceToIn(p,v, ...) in case of point on surface with
        very small tangent direction; now returning kInfinity and no longer zero.
        It fixes observed cases of zero value returned by both DistanceToIn()
        and DistanceToOut(), causing stuck tracks with zero step length.
      o G4Sphere: fixed calculation of roots in DistanceToOut(p,v,...) for
        theta-conical surfaces interserctions and for sTheta<=90 degree
        intersection. Addresses issue reported when running PET application
        with optical photons about mis-computation of distance on half-sphere
        constructs.
    + solids/specific:
      o Enhanced GetPointOnSurface() for generic G4Polycone and G4Polyhedra
        constructs.

  o Global:
    ------
    + G4UnitsTable: added units for electric-field, V/m.
    + G4PhysicsVector: introduced cubic spline interpolation, optionally
      selectable. Optimised implementation of GetValue() method.
    + G4LPhysicsFreeVector: corrected use of GetValue() to adopt
      implementation available from the base class.
    + Modified G4RandomDirection global function to use unit radius sphere
      surface algorithm instead of 8-quadrants technique, giving ~30%
      performance boost in dedicated stress tests.
    + Changed date for 9.2-beta release.

  o Intercoms
    ---------
    + Added a new function in G4UIcommandTree to find a subtree.

  o Interfaces
    ----------
    + Improvements for layout in Qt driver for Qt3.

  o Materials:
    ---------
    + G4NistElementBuilder: provide unique name for each isotope of an element.
    + G4IonisParamElm: added Fermi velocity and L-factor (both used for
      parameterizations of the effective charge and straggling of ions).
      G4IonisParamMat: use Fermi velocity and L-factor from G4IonisParamElm.
    + Added virtual destructor to G4SurfaceProperty and derivated.
      Addresses problem report #1014.
    + G4Element: added more safe check of consistence between Z and A in the
      constructor. Improved printout of errors and warnings.

  o Particles:
    ---------
    + Added UI command for setting the verbosity level on the particle-table.
    + Modified proton mass to be equal to 'proton_mass_c2' from updated
      PDG-2006 values in CLHEP (difference is 10 eV).

  o Persistency (GDML):
    ------------------
    + Introducing GDML writer: material properties; support for parameterised
      volumes; division volumes; replica volumes; matrices; naming of physical
      volumes; Twistedtrap, Twistedtubs, Tet, Twistedbox, Twistedtrd, Hype, Orb,
      Para, Ellipsoid, Ellipticaltube, Polyhedra, Torus, Cone, Tube, Extruded,
      Boolean (intersection, subtraction, union), Reflections (using scaled
      transformation) solids; elements and composite materials.
    + Added support for modular files in GDML writer and reader. Added handling
      of precision and optional rounding of errors for imported/exported values.
      Added schema validation mechanism and schema files.
    + Added features to reader: physical-volumes name; temperature, pressure
      and state of materials; NIST support. Added support for border surface
      and skin surface properties.
    + Added optional handling if precision on values loaded.

  o Physics Lists:
    -------------
    + Updated FTF* lists and physics NOT to use quasi-elastic from CHIPS.
      FTF now has quasi-elastic included in the FTF model itself.
    + Updated option2 EM physics (EMX) and added option3. For these 
      options it is now defined 'linLossLimit' per particle type;
      added hadron induced bremsstrahlung and pair production;
      using Spline interpolation for physics tables.
    + New helper class G4PhysListFactory for building Physics Lists.
    + Removed obsolete class G4HadronProcessStore.

  o Electromagnetic Processes:
    -------------------------
    + Low Energy:
      o Added PIXE cross section, L-shells, for protons in G4OrlicLCrossSection.
        Added semi-Empirical model implementation for L-SubShells-Cross-Section
        with protons projectiles.
      o New charge transfer process by incident protons (two cross-section and
        one final state policy classes).
      o Added Doppler broadening to G4LowEnergyCompton, based on "Y.Namito,
        S.Ban and H.Hirayama, NIM A 349, pp. 489-494, 1994".
        Added Doppler broadening in G4LowEnergyComptonPolarized, same model
        as in G4LowEnergyCompton.
      o Allow for loading the complete Auger dataset on initialization.
      o Requires new data set G4EMLOW.6.1.
    + High Energy:
      o Added new Bremsstrahlung and pair-production models for hadrons.
      o Added initialization of 'SubType' for all processes.
    + Muons:
      o Several fixes and further developments in G4Mu* models and associated
        processes.
    + Standard:
      o New multiple-scattering model G4WentzelVIModel used in new muon
        physics processes.
      o Cloned G4UrbanMscModel class into G4UrbanMscModel2; introduced several
        fixes and tunings to G4UrbanMscModel2 variant.
      o New process G4eMultipleScattering specialized for e+,e-.
      o G4eBremsstrahlungHEModel: new model, an extension of the standard
        Bremsstrahlung model but using a more sophisticated LPM approach.
      o G4PAIxSection: new functions for resonance and Rutherford collisions.
      o Fixed nuclear size correction for the G4BetheBlochModel.
      o G4ionGasIonisation: fixed bug in update of the dynamic charge of an ion.
      o G4IonFluctuations: added protection to the computation of the correction
        factor to dispersion which provide smooth transition to small velocities
        of an ion; added protection in computation of dispersion on allowing
        have a corrected dispersion below Bohr value.
      o G4eCoulombScatteringModel: speedup run-time computations using
        precomputed nuclear form-factors per element.
      o G4WaterStopping: using Spline interpolation.
      o Added initialization of 'SubType' for all processes.
    + Utils:
      o New class G4VMscModel to define general multiple-scattering parameters.
      o New class G4EmElementSelector, a helper class to sample random
        G4Element in a compound material.
      o Added new correction methods in order to provide a smooth transition
        between low-energy parameterization and Bethe-Bloch model in EM
        standard processes. Added new G4EmSaturation helper class.
      o G4VEnergyLossProcess: fixed computation of NIEL at the last step of a
        particle.
      o G4LossTableManager: fixed logic in compute dEdx table for an inactive
        process.
    + Xrays:
      o Added scintillation with Birk's law and make now use of G4EmSaturation
        to implement Birks correction.

  o Hadronic Processes:
    ------------------
    + management:
      o Added class G4HadronicProcessStore, helper class to keep pointers to
        all registered hadronic processes.
    + models/coherent_elastic:
      o G4HadronElastic: added counts of abnornal sampling results and
        printing out values in the destructor.
    + models/de_excitation:
      o G4PhotonEvaporation: atomic relaxation model is no longer applied
        following internal electron conversion. Instead the vacant shell index
        is passed to radioactive decay model, where the ARM is applied.
      o Fixed minor memory leak in G4ExcitationHandler.
    + models/high_energy:
      o G4HEInelastic: removed abnormally high pt secondaries due to incident
        strange particles by prohibiting the assignment of leading particle to
        anything that goes backward in the CM frame.
    + models/neutron_hp:
      o Improved energy and angular distributions for both scattered neutron
        and recoil targets. Fixed missing inelastic gamma-ray lines.
        Addresses problem report #1008.
      o Fixed bug for missed pouch-out particles
    + models/parton_string:
      o Revised string fragmentation and tuned parameters in FTF model for Pi+P
        and pion-nucleon interactions. Implemented quasi-elastic hadron-nucleus
        scattering in FTF and formation time; tuned string tension.
    + models/qmd:
      o Fixed and changed sampling method of impact parameter in G4QMDReaction.
      o Fixed minor memory leaks.
    + models/radioactive_decay:
      o G4NuclearDecayChannel: ARM is no longer applied in photon-evaporation
        for IT mode and is now applied at the end of DecayIt(); now using the
        correct shell index in appling ARM and switching on Auger electron
        production. Checking the residual kinetic energy after ARM and adding
        it to the atom.
    + models/rpg:
      o Fixed energy non-conservation problem in G4RPGFragmentation and in
        G4RPGReaction. Fixed K0 ID problem in G4RPGInelastic.

  o Generic Processes:
    -----------------
    + Biasing:
      o Fixed use of 'WeightCutOff' now correctly working in a mass geometry.
      o Archived obsolete class G4CellFinder.
    + Cuts:
      o Added G4ProductionCutsTableMessenger class.
    + Decay:
      o G4DecayWithSpin: modified DecayIt() to allow spin precession also
        for EM fields.
    + Scoring:
      o Added copying of non-ionizing energy deposit in G4Step.

  o Run:
    ---
    + Invoke G4Particle::DeleteAllParticles() in the destructor of
      G4VUserPhysicsList to clear leaks induced by particles created in
      the user application.

  o Tracking & Track:
    ----------------
    + Fix in G4SteppingManager for properly update of 'fTouchableHandle'.
      Addressing problem report #1009.
    + Reset non-ionizing energy loss in G4Step::ResetTotalEnergyDeposit()
      in order to initialize NIEL in each step.

  o Visualization:
    -------------
    + Fixed remaining gcc-4.3.0 compiler warnings.
    + OpenGL:
      o Fixed DBL_MAX problem in 2D drawing.
      o Improvements in Qt driver and setup.

  o Examples:
    --------
    + Various fixes, improvements, adoption of new features.
    + advanced/hadrontherapy:
      o Reviewed example to update to the new beam line setup.
    + advanced/microdosimetry:
      o New application simulating 10 keV tracks Helium+ (positive
        charge is +e) particle in liquid water using only G4DNA processes.
    + extended/gdml:
      o general polishing and new convention for running.


 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                             Technical Notes
                             --------------- 

  o Official platforms:
    + Linux, gcc-3.4.6.
      Tested on 32 bits architectures and 64 bits architectures
      (Intel or AMD) with the Scientific Linux CERN 4 (SLC4) distribution
      (based on RedHat Linux Enterprise 4).
      Versions of Geant4 have also been compiled successfully on other
      Linux distributions, like Debian, Suse or other RedHat systems.
    + MacOSX 10.5, gcc-4.0.1
    + Windows/XP and CygWin Tools with: Visual C++ 9.0 (Visual Studio 2008)

  o More verified configurations:
    + Linux, gcc-4.3.1
    + Linux, Intel-icc 10.1

  o Geant4 9.2-beta-01 requires the installation of CLHEP-2.0.3.3.

 Please refer to the Geant4 User Documentation:
   http://cern.ch/geant4/support/userdocuments.shtml
 for further information about using Geant4.