The air-kerma rate constant of 192Ir

The air-kerma rate constant gamma delta (and its precursors), as one of the basic radiation characteristics of 192Ir, was determined by many authors. Analysis of accessible data on this quantity led us to the conclusion that published data strongly disagree. That is the reason we calculated this quantity on the basis of our and many other authors' gamma-ray spectral data and the latest data for mass energy-transfer coefficients for air. In this way, a value was obtained for gamma delta of 30.0 +/- 0.9 a Gy m2 s-1 Bq-1 for an unshielded 192Ir source and 27.8 +/- 0.9 a Gy m2s -1Bq-1 for a standard packaged radioactive source taking into account attenuation of gamma rays in the platinum source wall.