Photonuclear activation ratios in fluorine compounds; an index of bremsstrahlung quality

Samples of potassium hexafluorosilicate (K2SiF6) and polytetrafluoroethylene (C2F4)n were irradiated in the bremsstrahlung beam from a clinical linear electron accelerator at integral values of endpoint energy between 13 and 32 MeV. Sample positron activities produced by the reactions 39K(gamma, n) 38K, 19F(gamma, n) 18F, and 12C(gamma, n)11C, were determined by counting the gamma radiation. Saturation activities per target nucleus were calculated from these data. For the K2SiF6 samples, the photonuclear activation ratio (PAR) of the 7.6 min 39K saturation activity per nucleus divided by the 18F result increased by more than 20% per MeV between 15 and 21 MeV. For the (C2F4)n samples the ratio (PAR) of the 11C saturation activity per nucleus to that for 18F increased by more than 24% per MeV between 22 and 26 MeV. Quality changes caused by the lead flattening filter were easily detectable using the PAR technique. Because of the high sensitivity to bremsstrahlung spectrum changes these PAR values can serve as sensitive indices of quality for high-energy beams.