title: Dose build up correction for radiation monitors in high-energy bremsstrahlung photon radiation fields.
abstract: Conventional radiation monitors have been found to underestimate the personal dose equivalent in the high-energy bremsstrahlung photon radiation fields encountered near electron storage rings. Depth-dose measurements in a water phantom were carried out with a radiation survey meter in the bremsstrahlung photon radiation fields from a 450 MeV electron storage ring to find out the magnitude of the underestimation. Dose equivalent indicated by the survey meter was found to build up with increase in thickness of water placed in front of the meter up to certain depth and then reduce with further increase in thickness. A dose equivalent build up factor was estimated from the measurements. An absorbed dose build up factor in a water phantom was also estimated from calculations performed using the Monte Carlo codes, EGS-4 and EGSnrc. The calculations are found to be in very good agreement with the measurements. The studies indicate inadequacy of commercially available radiation monitors for radiation monitoring within shielded enclosures and in streaming high-energy photon radiation fields from electron storage rings, and the need for proper correction for use in such radiation fields.
authors.affiliation: Health Physics Unit, Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013, India. haridas@cat.ernet.in
authors.forename: Haridas G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.forename: Vipin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dev
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Thakkar
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D017785:Photons; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity