Thermoluminescence (TL), kinetic parameters and dosimetric features of Pakistani limestone.

Thermoluminescence (TL), kinetic parameters and dosimetric features of Pakistani limestone (CaCO3) is reported in this study. Both compositional and structural analyses reveal that the material has a crystalline nature with rhombohedral structure and non-uniform crystallite size having major content of CaCO3. A powdered limestone sample of 30 mg is found to be the optimized weight for TL and other dosimetric studies. After irradiating the samples with a test dose of 100 Gy using a ß source three composite glow peaks termed as P1, P2 and P3 are visible at 100, 230 and 330 °C respectively using a linear heating rate of 1 °C/s during the TL readout. The Coefficient of Variation (COV) is found to be about 4%. Kinetic parameters (i.e., frequency factor (f), activation energy (E), and the kinetic order (b)) are estimated using both first and second Order of kinetics using an in-house Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution (GCD) software. The figure-of-merit (FOM) is found to be 2.12%. The distribution of continuum traps with activation energy in the range of 0.77-2.59 eV is observed in the kinetic parameter analysis of the glow peaks of the sample. The TL response in the dose range of 1-5 Gy (not reported previously) and linearity in the dose response in the dose range of 1-10 Gy is observed in samples of Pakistani limestone. The Minimum Detectable Dose (MDD) is 1.01 Gy clearly resembling the experimentally linear fitted results. After a fading study for a period of thirty days, only the first peak i.e., P1 majorly fades while no major change is observed in the amplitude of peaks P2 and P3. In addition, P1 is the main contributor fading by 92% within the first 24 h of irradiation while P2 fades by 30 %. However, P3 shows stability with a very minor fading of 0.05% within 24 h of irradiation. This study concludes that Pakistani limestone can be further assessed as a potential radiation dosimeter for various applications.

Computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD): A comparison using asymptotic vs rational approximation in thermoluminescence kinetic models.

In this study an open-source tool GCD Analyzer, based on Microsoft® Excel, for Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution analysis (CGCD) of thermoluminescence (TL) glow peak has been developed using a more accurate rational approximation. It is capable of deconvolution of glow curves having discrete or continuous trap distribution and can be used for routine as well as emergency radiation dosimetric analysis. This tool has a unique feature of TL glow curve analysis by combining discrete and continuous energy distributions for crystalline, amorphous, and mixed materials. To obtain best values of trap parameters like activation energy (E), frequency factor (s), order of kinetics (b), GCD Analyzer has the capability of analyzing glow curve using selectable individual peak of various physical kinetic models i.e. FOK, SOK, GOK, MOK, and Continuous Traps Distribution (CTD) with subtraction of optional background signal. The residual graph gives a clear visual understanding of the Figure of Merit (F.O.M). A comparison of asymptotic and rational approximation to the built-in second order exponential integral function E2(E/KT) for E/KT < 600 is also presented. The results are verified by deconvolution of test synthetic glow curves with F.O.M up to 0.0005%, experimental glow curve for CTD with F.O.M of 0.9781%, and in the case of GLOWCANIN project glow curves, the F.O.M is comparable to the least values achieved by inter-comparison participants.

Assessment of skin doses in small field radiotherapy for 6 MV photons and beam spectral analysis at skin surface: an EGSnrc based Monte Carlo study.

This study aims at the estimation of skin doses during small field radiotherapy with 6 MV photons and analysis of beam spectra at skin surface. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo code was used for spectral analysis and dose scoring in a water phantom. Percent skin dose (PSD) was calculated at a depth of 70 µm (relative to 10 cm depth), and the effects of field size, collimation, source-to-surface distance, and tissue inhomogeneity (bone/air) below the skin were evaluated. Low-energy photons and contaminant electrons from the machine head or back-scattered from underlying tissue were found to be the major contributors to skin dose. As the field size was reduced, the beam hardened, while the photon and electron fluences at the skin decreased compared to those at the reference depth of 10 cm. This resulted in a PSD reduction for fields smaller than the reference field size. Multi leaf collimators increased the PSD (up to 4%) while variation in source-to-skin dose showed a negligible effect. A substantial increase in PSD has been observed (up to 6%) when high Z material like bone was placed below the skin. In contrast, air as underlying material decreased the skin dose. The skin dose varied considerably with various clinical and geometric parameters. It is concluded that, although the skin doses were low for small fields compared to those for the reference field, skin doses may become substantial when escalated target doses are delivered with multi leaf collimators. Moreover, the presence of high Z materials such as bones or metallic implants below the skin can result in significant enhancement of the skin dose.

Thermoluminescence study of pellets prepared using NaCl from Khewra Salt Mines in Pakistan.

In this study, the thermoluminescence characteristics of naturally occurring salt (NaCl) were assessed for the development of a radiation dosimeter. For this purpose, mined crystalline samples of salt were procured directly from Khewra salt mines in Pakistan. The samples were hand crushed, sieved, and compressed to pellets comparable in size to standard TLD chips, and irradiated to gamma radiation doses in the range of 5 mGy and 5000 mGy. Thermoluminescence (TL) response showed three main peaks in the glow curve around 115-130 °C, 150-170 °C, and 220-240 °C. A linear TL response was observed for the dose range of 5-100 mGy. The TL response became supra-linear for the dose ranges of 100-1000 mGy and 1000-5000 mGy. The Tm-Tstop method was applied to identify the overlapping peaks of the glow curve. Computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) was then employed for the characterization of electron trap parameters such as frequency factor (s), activation energy (E), and the kinetic order (b), using General Order (GO) kinetics. The figure-of-merit (FOM) was found to be 1.08%, 0.94%, 0.77%, and 0.75%, at 500 mGy, 1 Gy, 2 Gy, and 5 Gy, respectively. The TL intensity faded by 20% within the first 24 h after irradiation and finally stabilized after two weeks. In addition, structural, morphological, and elemental analyses, were also performed using various analytical techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the salt crystallizes in a face-centered cubic structure. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs indicated that the crystallites are closely packed and cubic-shaped with non-uniform size, and mostly found in the agglomerated form. Similarly, the elemental analysis confirmed the presence of impurities such as Mg, Sr, S, K, O, and Ca, in the samples. The present study concludes that the pellets made from salt samples from Khewra mines have a potential for use as radiation dosimeters.

Feasibility study of using Stereotactic Field Diode for field output factors measurement and evaluating three new detectors for small field relative dosimetry of 6 and 10 MV photon beams.

This study assesses the feasibility of using stereotactic field diode (SFD) as an alternate to gaf chromic films for field output factor (FF) measurement and further evaluating three new detectors for small field dosimetry. Varian 21EX linear accelerator was used to generate 6 and 10 MV beams of nominal square fields ranging from 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 to 10 × 10 cm2 . One passive (EBT3 films) and five active detectors including IBA RAZOR diode(RD), SFD, RAZOR nanochamber (RNC), pinpoint chamber (PTW31023), and semiflex chamber (PTW31010) were employed. FFs were measured using films and SFD while beam profiles and percentage depth dose (PDD) distribution were acquired with active detectors. Polarity (kpol ) and recombination (ks ) effects of ion chambers were determined and corrected for output ratio measurement. Correction factors (CF) of RD, RNC, and PTW31023 in axial and radial orientation were also measured. Stereotactic field diode measured FFs have shown good agreement with films (with difference of <1%). RD and RNC measured beam profiles were within 3% deviation from the SFD values. Variation in kpol with field size for RNC and PTW31023 was up to 4% and 0.4% (for fields ≥ 1 × 1 cm2 ), respectively, while variation in ks of PTW31023 was <0.2 %. The maximum values of CF have been calculated to be 5.2%, 2.0%, 13.6%, and 25.5% for RD, RNC, PTW31023-axial, and PTW31023-radial respectively. This study concludes that SFD with appropriate CFs as given in TRS 483 may be used for measuring FFs as an alternate to EBT3 films. Whereas RD and RNC may be used for beam profile and PDD measurement in small fields. Considering the limit of usability of 2%, RNC may be used without CF for FF measurement in the smallfields investigated in this study.

Measurement of 6 MV small field beam profiles - comparison of micro ionization chamber and linear diode array with monte carlo code.

The objective of this study is to analyze small field photon beams acquired with commonly available detectors. Beam profiles of 6 MV photons from the Siemens Primus Linear Accelerator were measured with a micro ion chamber (IC CC01, IBA) and linear diode array (LDA-99SC, IBA). Data was acquired using a water phantom for small fields (0.5×0.5 cm2 to 4×4 cm2) at depth of maximum dose, 5 cm and 10 cm. Profiles were also generated with EGSnrc Monte Carlo code. Measured and simulated profiles were compared in terms of percentage difference of the area under the simulated and measured profiles (PD), ratio of the measured to simulated dose at the point of maximum deviation within the central region of profile (R), full width half maximum (FWHM) and penumbra. For field sizes ≥1×1 cm2, the maximum PD is 3.17 % and 2.87 % for IC and LDA respectively, whereas R is in the range of 0.95-1.05 for IC and 0.99-1.05 for LDA. LDA measured FWHM and penumbra are also in better agreement with the simulated results. This study demonstrated that LDA can be used for acquisition of beam profiles for field size as low as 1×1 cm2.