Week 4
CEMA
Converted Energy per unit Mass
Similar to Kerma but defined for charged
particles in collision with electrons
Gives energy transferred to charged particles in
collisions with electrons
𝑆𝑐
𝐶=𝜙
𝜌
E. Lindblom, 2013
Radiation equilibrium
Infinite homogeneous medium containing a uniformly
distributed radiation source
• Production of primary particles is the same
• Probability of interaction is the same
• → production of secondary particles is the same anywhere
This gives total radiation equilibrium
E. Lindblom, 2013
Radiation equilibrium
Minimum separation distance s
between boundaries of v and V >
the maximum penetration depth d
of emitted particles in v
This is usually easily valid for
charged particles but photons do
not have a maximum penetration
depth
E. Lindblom, 2013
Radiation equilibrium
Total Radiation Equilibrium
(𝑅𝑖𝑛 )𝑢 − (𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑢 = 0
(𝑅𝑖𝑛 )𝑐 − (𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑐 = 0
Energy imparted in a volume given by energy emitted in nuclear
transformations
𝜀 = 𝑄
The absorbed dose
1 𝑑(σ 𝑄)
𝐷=
𝜌 𝑑𝑉
This means that it is enough to know the amount of radiation emitted by
radioactive material in the volume of interest
E. Lindblom, 2013
Charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
Exists if
Each particle of a given type and energy leaving v is replaced by an
identical particle of the same energy entering v.
If RE exists, then CPE exists, but if CPE exists, RE does
not automatically exist
E. Lindblom, 2013
Charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
Irradiated by uncharged
particles
S > maximum penetration depth d of
any secondary charged particle
• Atomic composition and density of
medium homogeneous
• Uniform field of uncharged
particles (that is, negligible
attenuation) → secondary charged
particles produced uniformly
E. Lindblom, 2013
Charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
E. Lindblom, 2013
Charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
Charged Particle Equilibrium (CPE)
(𝑅𝑖𝑛 )𝑐 − (𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑐 = 0
Energy imparted in a volume given by energy emitted in nuclear
transformations
𝜀 = (𝑅𝑖𝑛 )𝑢 − (𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑢 + 𝑄
(𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑢 =
Which gives
𝜀 = (𝑅𝑖𝑛 )𝑢 − (𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑟
𝑢 − (𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡 )𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝑢 + 𝑄
Is this equal to net energy transfer, thus
𝑛
𝑑𝜀 𝑑𝜀𝑡𝑟
𝐷= = this is equal to 𝐷 = 𝐾𝑐
𝑑𝑚 𝑑𝑚
E. Lindblom, 2013
Charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
If CPE exists
𝜇𝑒𝑛
𝐷 = 𝐾𝑐 = න 𝜓𝐸 𝑑𝐸
𝜌
If you perform measurement of absorbed dose in medium
A and the uncharged particle fluence is the same
(unperturbed)
𝐷𝐴 (𝐾𝐶 )𝐴 𝜇𝑒𝑛 /𝜌 𝐴
= =
𝐷𝐵 (𝐾𝐶 )𝐵 𝜇𝑒𝑛 /𝜌 𝐵
E. Lindblom, 2013
Charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
High energy beams
• Secondary charged particles released could travel distances over
which the attenuation of primary particles can no longer be
neglected
• This fails the condition of uniform field of uncharged particles
through V
• Thus field of primary uncharged particles over the volume of
interest is no longer uniform and thus production of secondary
charged particles is no longer uniform
Degree of CPE failure progressively greater for higher
photon energies
E. Lindblom, 2013
Charged particle equilibrium (CPE)
Assuming negligible photon attenuation
E. Lindblom, 2013
Transient charged particle equilibrium
(TCPE)
Photon attenuation included
E. Lindblom, 2013
Transient charged particle equilibrium
(TCPE)
• The decrease of photon fluence should be included
• True CPE not valid but TCPE exist beyong maximum
electron range
• The dose is proportional to kerma
E. Lindblom, 2013
δ-equibrium (DPE)
In charged particle beam there is no CPE
Reason: primary charged particles lose energy continuously as they
travel the volume, thus no approximation of uniform field of charged
particles in volume
Possible to reach δ-particle equilbrium if range of δ-particles is small in
comparison to range of primary charged particles
DPE good approximation for protons and heavier charged particles, due
to energy transferred to δ-particles is small
E. Lindblom, 2013
δ-equibrium (DPE)
In DPE:
For any charged particle kinetic energy leaving the volume there is an
exact amount of energy entering the volume
𝐷𝑜𝑠𝑒 = 𝐶𝐸𝑀𝐴
𝑆𝑐
𝐷=𝜙
𝜌
E. Lindblom, 2013