An EGSnrc investigation of the PTP correction factor for ion chambers in kilovoltage x rays

Autor: Dwo Rogers, Daniel J. La Russa
Rok vydání: 2006
Předmět:
Zdroj: Medical Physics. 33:4590-4599
ISSN: 0094-2405
DOI: 10.1118/1.2392407
Popis: As part of the standard practice for obtaining consistent ion chamber measurements with cavities open to the surrounding atmosphere, the raw measured response is corrected to the response at a reference temperature and pressure using the standard temperature-pressure correction factor (P{sub TP}). In this study, the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code was used to investigate the validity of the P{sub TP} correction factor for kilovoltage x rays incident on various geometrically distinct ion chambers. The calculated P{sub TP}-corrected chamber response deviated by over 2% relative to expected values for a 40 kV spectrum incident on a graphite thimble chamber at an air density typical of Mexico City. The relative deviation from the expected response was much worse for a large spherical graphite chamber, exceeding 16% at an air density of 0.6 kg/m{sup 3} ({approx_equal}0.5 atm at 22 deg. C) for the same beam energy. The breakdown of the P{sub TP} correction factor was also observed for a 26 kV mammography spectrum incident on two mammography chambers. For {sup 60}Co beams, the P{sub TP} correction factor behaved as expected. For day-to-day variations in pressure, only a negligible of the P{sub TP} correction factor was observed with low x-ray energies. Factors contributing tomore » the breakdown of the P{sub TP} correction factor at low x-ray energies and large pressure variations, such as the range of electrons, the material of the wall, the chamber dimensions and air-photon interactions, are discussed in depth.« less
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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