title: Wall correction factors, Pwall, for parallel-plate ionization chambers.
abstract: The EGSnrc Monte Carlo user-code CSnrc is used to calculate wall correction factors, Pwall,, for parallel-plate ionization chambers in photon and electron beams. A set of Pwall values, computed at the reference depth in water, is presented for several commonly used parallel-plate chambers. These values differ from the standard assumption of unity used by dosimetry protocols by up to 1.7% for clinical electron beams. Calculations also show that Pwall is strongly dependent on the depth of measurement and can vary by as much as 6% for a 6 MeV beam in moving from a depth of dref to a depth of R50. In photon beams, where there is limited information available regarding Pwall for parallel-plate chambers, CSnrc calculations show Pwall values of up to 2.4% at the reference depth over a range of photon energies. The Pwall values for photon beams are in good agreement with previous estimates of the wall correction but have much lower statistical uncertainties and cover a wider range of photon beam energies.
authors.affiliation: Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Physics, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6 Canada.
authors.forename: Lesley A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: D W O
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D004583:Electrons; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D017785:Photons; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*