Primary dose in photon beams with lateral electron disequilibrium.
It is shown that in narrow monoenergetic photon beams under conditions of lateral electron disequilibrium, primary absorbed dose P(r) is a simple function of beam radius r: P(r) = P lambda.(1 - e(-gamma.r)), where P lambda is the primary dose in broad beams for which complete lateral electron equilibrium exists, and gamma depends on photon energy and absorbing medium. This formula was evaluated using Monte-Carlo-generated data for the primary dose in water from monoenergetic photons in the energy range from 2 to 8 MeV. The primary dose was studied in beams of radii 0.006 cm less than r less than 5.0 cm and within the depth interval 0.5 cm less than or equal to d less than or equal to 24 cm. It was concluded that the saturation equation above provides an accurate description of the primary dose from monoenergetic photon beams, as judged by comparison with Monte Carlo results.
Nizin
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Staten Island University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, New York 10305.
Chang
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D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011827:Radiation; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage