Calculations for beta dosimetry using Monte Carlo code (OREC) for electron transport in water

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Dosimetry
• Computational Physics

Background:

• Accurate beta-ray dosimetry is crucial for radiation protection.
• Electron transport in liquid water and tissue-equivalent materials presents complex challenges.
• Existing dosimetry methods require validation with advanced computational models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the OREC Monte Carlo code for detailed electron transport and energy deposition calculations in liquid water.
• To adapt and validate the OREC code for beta-ray dosimetry applications in tissue and tissue-equivalent materials.
• To enable direct evaluation of skin dose equivalent (Hs (0.07)).

Main Methods:

• Utilized the OREC Monte Carlo code, with modifications for tissue-equivalent materials.
• Performed calculations for monoenergetic electrons to determine penetration depth and pathlength distributions.
• Compared calculated beta spectral data and depth-dose curves with experimental measurements from calibrated beta sources and extrapolation chambers.

Main Results:

• The OREC code demonstrated good agreement with measured beta spectral data and depth-dose curves in tissue-equivalent plastics.
• Calculations accurately predicted the skin dose equivalent (Hs (0.07)) for various beta sources.
• Validated the code's ability to calculate energy spectra and angular distributions of beta particles, showing good agreement with measurements.

Conclusions:

• The modified OREC code is a valuable tool for beta-ray dosimetry, providing accurate electron transport and energy deposition calculations.
• The code facilitates direct and reliable evaluation of skin dose equivalent (Hs (0.07)).
• Computational results align well with experimental measurements, supporting the code's utility in dosimetry research and practice.