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Dose equivalent and phantoms in conventional calibration practice

Conference · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA)
OSTI ID:5505089

The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) Report 39 recommends that several new dose equivalent quantities be used and that, to calibrate dosimeters and instruments in terms of these new quantities, the ICRU sphere be used as a phantom. Currently, the calibration of personnel dosimeters in both the US Department of Energy's Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) and National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) testing programs is performed using rectangular polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantoms. The relationship of dose equivalent in the calibration procedures set by these two standards was investigated by comparing the dose equivalent calculated for a personnel dosimeter placed on a slab phantom to the ambient dose equivalent, H*(10). Although the individual dose equivalent, penetrating, is the actual quantity that should be simulated with a personnel dosimeter, in calibration and testing practice, the two are numerically equal for normal irradiation on the front face of the phantom.

OSTI ID:
5505089
Report Number(s):
CONF-881011--
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Vol. 57; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English