Determination of ion recombination correction factors for a liquid ionization chamber in megavoltage photon beams

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the ion recombination correction factor for a liquid ionization chamber in a high energy photon beam by using our experimental method. The ion recombination correction factors were determined by using our experimental method and were compared with theoretical and experimental methods proposed by using the theoretical method (Greening, Johansson) and the two-dose rate method in a cobalt beam and a high energy photon beam. In order to apply the liquid ionization chamber in a reference and small field dosimetry, we acquired the absorbed dose to water correction coefficient, the beam quality correction factor, and the influence quantities for the microLion chamber according to the TRS-398 protocol and applied the results to a high energy photon beam used in clinical fields. As a result, our experimental method for ion recombination in a cobalt beam agreed with the results from the heoretical method (Greening theory) better than it did with the results from the two-dose rate method. For high energy photon beams, the two-dose rate and our experimental methods were in good agreement, less than 2% deviation, while the theoretical general collection efficiency (Johansson et al.) deviated greatly from the experimental values. When we applied the factors for the absorbed dose to water measurement, the absorbed dose to water for the microLion chamber was in good agreement, within 1%, compared with the values for the PTW 30013 chamber in 6 and 10 MV Clinac iX and 6 and 15 MV Oncor impression. With these results, not only can the microLion ionization chamber be used to measure the absorbed dose to water in a reference condition, it can also be used to a the chamber for small, non-standard field dosimetry.