A new model for volume recombination in plane-parallel chambers in pulsed fields of high dose-per-pulse. (1st November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gotz, M; Karsch, L; Pawelke, J
• Is Part Of: Physics in medicine & biology. Volume 62:Number 22(2017:Nov.)
• Page Start: 8634
• Page End: 8654
• Publication Date: 2017-11-01
• Subjects: ionization chamber -- volume recombination -- pulsed radiation -- saturation correction -- dose-per-pulse -- laser acceleration; Biophysics -- Periodicals; Medical physics -- Periodicals; 610.153
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aa8985
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-9155

Abstract

Abstract: In order to describe the volume recombination in a pulsed radiation field of high dose-per-pulse this study presents a numerical solution of a 1D transport model of the liberated charges in a plane-parallel ionization chamber. In addition, measurements were performed on an Advanced Markus ionization chamber in a pulsed electron beam to obtain suitable data to test the calculation. The experiment used radiation pulses of 4 μ s duration and variable dose-per-pulse values up to about 1 Gy, as well as pulses of variable duration up to 308 μ s at constant dose-per-pulse values between 85 mGy and 400 mGy. Those experimental data were compared to the developed numerical model and existing descriptions of volume recombination. At low collection voltages the observed dose-per-pulse dependence of volume recombination can be approximated by the existing theory using effective parameters. However, at high collection voltages large discrepancies are observed. The developed numerical model shows much better agreement with the observations and is able to replicate the observed behavior over the entire range of dose-per-pulse values and collection voltages. Using the developed numerical model, the differences between observation and existing theory are shown to be the result of a large fraction of the charge being collected as free electrons and the resultant distortion of the electric field inside the chamber. Furthermore, the numerical solution is able to calculate recombination losses for arbitrary pulse durations in good agreement with the experimental data, an aspect not covered by current theory. Overall, the presented numerical solution of the charge transport model should provide a more flexible tool to describe volume recombination for high dose-per-pulse values as well as for arbitrary pulse durations and repetition rates.