Monte Carlo characterization of an ytterbium-169 high dose rate brachytherapy source with analysis of statistical uncertainty.
An ytterbium-169 high dose rate brachytherapy source, distinguished by an intensity-weighted average photon energy of 92.7 keV and a 32.015 +/- 0.009 day half-life, is characterized in terms of the updated AAPM Task Group Report No. 43 specifications using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo computer code. In accordance with these specifications, the investigation included Monte Carlo simulations both in water and air with the in-air photon spectrum filtered to remove low-energy photons below 10 keV. TG-43 dosimetric data including S(K), D(r, lamda), lambda, gL(r), F(r, lamda), phi an(r), and phi(an) were calculated and statistical uncertainties in these parameters were derived and calculated in the appendix.
Radiation Laboratory, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Avenue, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, USA. david_medich@uml.edu
David C
DC
Medich
Mark A
MA
Tries
John J
JJ
Munro
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015018:Ytterbium / Q000032:analysis*
D011868:Radioisotopes; D015018:Ytterbium