Comparison of Calibration coefficients for Vinten Ionization Chamber Simulated Using Four Monte Carlo Methods

Published

October 17, 2023

Author(s)

Brittany Broder, Denis E. Bergeron, Ryan P. Fitzgerald, Brian E. Zimmerman

Abstract

The Vinten 671 ionization chamber (VIC) was modelled using four Monte Carlo (MC) programs: EGS++, EGSnrc, Penelope, and TOPAS. VICs with well-characterized response relationships are deployed at several national measurement institutes (NMIs), where calibration coefficients for many radionuclides have been measured, providing a convenient benchmark for MC models. VIC geometries were based on technical drawings, a CT scan of the VIC at NIST, and parameters in the literature. Radionuclides were modeled as distributed aqueous sources in 5 mL borosilicate flame-sealed ampoules; 12 radionuclides with various decay emissions were assessed as well as 14 monoenergetic photon sources and 10 monoenergetic electron sources. To compare the response of the nuclides, the energy deposited in the simulated VIC nitrogen gas volume was observed and used to calculate the calibration coefficient. These values were compared to experimental values from the literature.

Citation

Applied Radiation and Isotopes

Volume

202

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.111068

Local Download

Keywords

Ionization Chamber, Monte Carlo, Radionuclide Calibrator, Secondary Standard

Citation

Broder, B. , Bergeron, D. , Fitzgerald, R. and Zimmerman, B. (2023), Comparison of Calibration coefficients for Vinten Ionization Chamber Simulated Using Four Monte Carlo Methods, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.111068, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=956195 (Accessed October 9, 2025)