Monte Carlo calculated correction factors for primary standards of air kerma.

Abstract

Many laboratories with cavity chambers as primary standards for air kerma are considering using additional Monte Carlo calculated correction factors, in particular the correction for attenuation and scatter in the walls, Kwall, and possibly the correction for point of measurement, Kan. Standards labs also use Monte Carlo calculated Spencer-Attix stopping-power ratios for graphite to air. The purpose of this article is to investigate the sensitivity of these calculations to their details and to assign uncertainties to the calculated values. We also investigate the correction needed for the Canadian primary standard to account for a polystyrene insulator, Kcomp and find that it is quite large (1.0046 +/- 0.0017). The article shows that the values of correction factors are very robust and insensitive to most details of the calculations except the values of the underlying electron stopping powers which have a significant effect on the stopping-power ratio and on Kcomp. The 1% uncertainties on the photon cross-sections have a negligible effect on these correction factors except for Kcomp. As a result of these investigations, with no change in the stopping power data used, the Canadian primary standard of air kerma in a 60Co beam needs to be increased by 0.54%.