Features of the latest version of the PHITS code

A Multi-purpose Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System, PHITS, developed through collaborations between JAEA and several institutes in Japan and Europe, and upgraded recently and released as PHITS2.52 is presented as an overview. In the new version, higher accuracy of the simulation was achieved by implementing the latest nuclear reaction models such as Liege intra-nuclear cascade version 4.6 (INCL4.6) and a statistical multi-fragmentation model including JAM and JQMD for high-energy regions. The reliability of the simulation code was improved by modifying both the algorithms for the electron-, positron-, and photon-transport simulations in terms of not only the code itself but also the contents of its package, such as the attached data libraries. More than 800 researchers have been registered as PHITS users, and they apply the code to various research and development fields such as nuclear technology, accelerator design, medical physics, and cosmic-ray research. (S. Ohno)