title: Correction factors for the INER-improved free-air ionization chambers calculated with the Monte Carlo method.
abstract: Monte Carlo method was used to simulate the correction factors for electron loss and scattered photons for two improved cylindrical free-air ionization chambers (FACs) constructed at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER, Taiwan). The method is based on weighting correction factors for mono-energetic photons with X-ray spectra. The newly obtained correction factors for the medium-energy free-air chamber were compared with the current values, which were based on a least-squares fit to experimental data published in the NBS Handbook 64 [Wyckoff, H.O., Attix, F.H., 1969. Design of free-air ionization chambers. National Bureau Standards Handbook, No. 64. US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, pp. 1-16; Chen, W.L., Su, S.H., Su, L.L., Hwang, W.S., 1999. Improved free-air ionization chamber for the measurement of X-rays. Metrologia 36, 19-24]. The comparison results showed the agreement between the Monte Carlo method and experimental data is within 0.22%. In addition, mono-energetic correction factors for the low-energy free-air chamber were calculated. Average correction factors were then derived for measured and theoretical X-ray spectra at 30-50 kVp. Although the measured and calculated spectra differ slightly, the resulting differences in the derived correction factors are less than 0.02%.
authors.affiliation: Health Physics Division, Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, 1000, Wunhua Road, Jiaan Village, Longtan Township, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC. utlin@iner.gov.tw
authors.forename: Uei-Tyng
authors.initials: UT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chien-Hau
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chu