Monte Carlo calculation and silicon detector measurement of the hot particle dose

In our study, we quantitatively compared the hot particle dose calculated by our microcomputer Monte Carlo electron transport code, Eltran3, with the values calculated by the VARSKIN code. For a weightless source, the VARSKIN code overestimated the skin dose by 14% to 37% because the VARSKIN code is based on the data table for point sources in an unbounded medium. Five 60Co hot particles were measured in the current and pulse mode operations of an ion-implanted silicon detector. The measurements were converted to skin dose rates and compared by use of Eltran3 and VARSKIN calculations. Measured values of the skin dose rates for four of the five hot particles agreed well with expected values. The skin dose rate per kBq of the four hot particles ranged from 0.70 to 0.85 mGy h-1 kBq-1. One of the five hot particles showed the presence of a pure beta-emitting radionuclide, which was not detected through gamma-ray measurements.