Volume Ionization Research Articles

Evaluation of a micro ionization chamber for dosimetric measurements in image-guided preclinical irradiation platforms

Image-guided small animal irradiation platforms deliver small radiation fields in the medium energy x-ray range. Commissioning of such platforms, followed by dosimetric verification of treatment planning, are mostly performed with radiochromic film. There is a need for independent measurement methods, traceable to primary standards, with the added advantage of immediacy in obtaining results. This investigation characterizes a small volume ionization chamber in medium energy x-rays for reference dosimetry in preclinical irradiation research platforms. The detector was exposed to a set of reference x-ray beams (0.5–4 mm Cu HVL). Leakage, reproducibility, linearity, response to detector’s orientation, dose rate, and energy dependence were determined for a 3D PinPoint ionization chamber (PTW 31022). Polarity and ion recombination were also studied. Absorbed doses at 2 cm depth were compared, derived either by applying the experimentally determined cross-calibration coefficient at a typical small animal radiation platform ‘user’s’ quality (0.84 mm Cu HVL) or by interpolation from air kerma calibration coefficients in a set of reference beam qualities. In the range of reference x-ray beams, correction for ion recombination was less than 0.1%. The largest polarity correction was 1.4% (for 4 mm Cu HVL). Calibration and correction factors were experimentally determined. Measurements of absorbed dose with the PTW 31022, in conditions different from reference were successfully compared to measurements with a secondary standard ionization chamber. The implementation of an End-to-End test for delivery of image-targeted small field plans resulted in differences smaller than 3% between measured and treatment planning calculated doses. The investigation of the properties and response of a PTW 31022 small volume ionization chamber in medium energy x-rays and small fields can contribute to improve measurement uncertainties evaluation for reference and relative dosimetry of small fields delivered by preclinical irradiators while maintaining the traceability chain to primary standards.

Critical study of partial discharge inception in voids: statistical behavior to stochastic nature

Although many studies have been done and advanced progress has been made in understanding partial discharge (PD) behavior in the void, this is not the case firinception of PD, especially its stochastic nature. The statistical behaviors of PD inception voltage (PDIV) and inception time delay (PDTD) inside the void were investigated in this study through repeated tests to observe the stochastic nature of PD inception. The results show that the PDIV and PDTD of the void are highly dispersed and obey Weibull and exponential distributions, respectively. The significant dispersion of PDIV can be attributed to the statistical time delay of PD inception. The lengthy inception delay is attributable to a lack of free electrons. The exponential distribution of PDTD indicates that free-electron generation is completely random; further, the stochastic nature of void PD inception is determined by the supply of free electrons. The test method (voltage rise rate, test time, and test time interval), void parameters (size, material, and surface condition), and background radiation determine PD inception by affecting the volume ionization or surface-emission process providing free electrons. Enhanced background ionization or significant increase in test voltage and test time allow for the effective detection of void defects during PD tests. This work contributes to an empirical understanding of the physical process of PD inception in voids and improving existing PD testing technologies.

Virtual-slit focusing in a cycloidal mass spectrometer – A proof of concept

This work demonstrates a novel approach to mass spectrometry using the “virtual-slit” created by the small, localized volume from which ions are generated by localized ionization techniques such as laser ionization of particles and surfaces, and spark ionization. That is, the volume in which the ions are generated creates a localized source of ions in much the same way as a slit that allows only ions from a specific cross sectional area to pass. As demonstrated in this work, the unique perfect focusing properties of a cycloidal mass analyzer can enable the localized ionization volume to function as a virtual-slit. In this manuscript, we provide a proof-of-concept (POC) demonstration of a virtual-slit cycloidal mass spectrometer (VS-CMS) consisting of a cycloidal mass analyzer, a laser ionization source, and an ion array detector. The laser is used to ionize either bulk or thin film samples of Cu, Ti, Ni, and Cr. Results indicate that the width of the peaks at the detector is the same as the laser spot size, validating the concept of virtual-slit focusing. Furthermore, the Ti and Cu ablated with each laser pulse is estimated at 60 and 140 fg, respectively, indicating that a very low detection limit is possible given the ability of the cycloidal mass analyzer to collect ions generated by laser ionization that have wide energy and angular dispersions. The VS-CMS concept has the potential to enable development of fieldable instruments for chemical, elemental, and isotopic analysis of organic and inorganic samples, that are relatively small compared to currently used laser ionization time-of-flight and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers.

PD-0937 Reference dosimetry in image guided preclinical irradiators with a small volume ionization chamber

PD-0937 Reference dosimetry in image guided preclinical irradiators with a small volume ionization chamber

Low-energy electron ionization mass spectrometer for efficient detection of low mass species

The design of a high-efficiency mass spectrometer is described, aimed at residual gas detection of low mass species using low-energy electron impact, with particular applications in helium atom microscopy and atomic or molecular scattering. The instrument consists of an extended ionization volume, where electrons emitted from a hot filament are confined using a solenoidal magnetic field to give a high ionization probability. Electron space charge is used to confine and extract the gas ions formed, which are then passed through a magnetic sector mass filter before reaching an ion counter. The design and implementation of each of the major components are described in turn, followed by the overall performance of the detector in terms of mass separation, detection efficiency, time response, and background count rates. The linearity of response with emission current and magnetic field is discussed. The detection efficiency for helium is very high, reaching as much as 0.5%, with a time constant of (198 ± 6) ms and a background signal equivalent to an incoming helium flux of (8.7 ± 0.2) × 106 s-1.

Direct Liquid Extraction and Ionization Techniques for Understanding Multimolecular Environments in Biological Systems (Secondary Publication).

A combination of direct liquid extraction using a small volume of solvent and electrospray ionization allows the rapid measurement of complex chemical components in biological samples and visualization of their distribution in tissue sections. This review describes the development of such techniques and their application to biological research since the first reports in the early 2000s. An overview of electrospray ionization, ion suppression in samples, and the acceleration of specific chemical reactions in charged droplets is also presented. Potential future applications for visualizing multimolecular environments in biological systems are discussed.

A comparison of contact charging and impact ionization in low-velocity impacts: implications for dust detection in space

Abstract. We investigate the generation of charge due to collision between projectiles with sizes below ∼1 µm and metal surfaces at speeds ∼0.1 to 10 km s−1. This corresponds to speeds above the elastic limit and well below speeds where volume ionization can occur. Impact charge production at these low to intermediate speeds has traditionally been described by invoking the theory of shock wave ionization. By looking at the thermodynamics of the low-velocity solution of shock wave ionization, we find that such a mechanism alone is not sufficient to account for the recorded charge production in a number of scenarios in the laboratory and in space. We propose a model of capacitive contact charging that involves no direct ionization, in which we allow for projectile fragmentation upon impact. Furthermore, we show that this model describes measurements of metal–metal impacts in the laboratory well. We also address contact charging in the context of ice-on-metal collisions and apply our results to rocket observations of mesospheric dust. In general, we find that contact charging dominates at speeds of up to a few kilometres per second and complements shock wave ionization up to speeds where direct ionization can take place. The conditions that we consider can be applied to dust particles naturally occurring in space and in Earth's upper atmosphere and their direct impacts on rockets, spacecraft, and impacts of secondary ejecta.

Ionization Balance in Low-Temperature Plasmas with Nanosized Dust

Ionization mechanisms in the low-temperature thermal plasma, which contains alkali metal atoms as ionizable component and nanosized dust grains, are studied. In such a plasma, electrons are captured by dust grains, because the work function of grains depends on their sizes, and the electron adsorption rate is more than the thermionic emission rate for nanosized grains. Accordingly, an increase of the dust grain number leads to a decrease in the volume ionization and recombination rates, because they depend on the number density of electrons. At the same time, the role of surface processes in the plasma ionization balance is increased, because the total grain surface is increased. The approximate calculation techniques for low and high grain number densities are proposed. The criterions for approximate calculations are specified.

Numerical simulation of the performance of the ASDEX pressure gauge

The normalised output Ii/(Ie-Ii) and sensitivity of the ASDEX pressure gauge are numerically simulated in this paper. The effects of the electrode spacing, width of grid slit and electrode voltage on the sensitivity of the ASDEX gauge are analyzed respectively, and the orthogonal analysis method is applied to optimize the structural and electrical parameters of the ASDEX pressure gauge. According to the simulation result, the sensitivity of the optimized gauge is increased to 0.01138Pa−1 without magnetic field. The motion trajectories of emitted electrons and sensitivity are simulated when the magnetic induction intensity is in the range of 0~1 T. The studies have demonstrated that the magnetic field inhibited the motion of emission electrons in the direction perpendicular to the base plate, increasing the probability of the electrons reaching the effective ionization volume and extending the electron path length due to the helical trajectories. When the magnetic induction intensity increased from 0 to 1 T, the sensitivity of the gauge increases from 0.01138 Pa-1 to 0.149 Pa-1.

Application of radiochromic gel dosimetry to commissioning of a megavoltage research linear accelerator for small-field animal irradiation studies.

To develop and implement an efficient and accurate commissioning procedure for small-field static beam animal irradiation studies on an MV research linear accelerator (Linatron-M9) using radiochromic gel dosimetry. The research linear accelerator (Linatron-M9) is a 9MV linac with a static fixed collimator opening of 5.08cm diameter. Lead collimators were manually placed to create smaller fields of 2×2cm2 , 1×1cm2 , and 0.5×0.5cm2 . Relative dosimetry measurements were performed, including profiles, percent depth dose (PDD) curves, beam divergence, and relative output factors using various dosimetry tools, including a small volume ionization chamber (A14), GAFCHROMIC™ EBT3 film, and Clearview gel dosimeters. The gel dosimeter was used to provide a 3D volumetric reference of the irradiated fields. The Linatron profiles and relative output factors were extracted at a reference depth of 2cm with the output factor measured relative to the 2×2cm2 reference field. Absolute dosimetry was performed using A14 ionization chamber measurements, which were verified using a national standards laboratory remote dosimetry service. Absolute dosimetry measurements were confirmed within 1.4% (k=2, 95% confidence=5%). The relative output factor of the small fields measured with films and gels agreed with a maximum relative percent error difference between the two methods of 1.1 % for the 1×1cm2 field and 4.3 % for the 0.5×0.5cm2 field. These relative errors were primarily due to the variability in the collimator positioning. The measured beam profiles demonstrated excellent agreement for beam size (measured as FWHM), within approximately 0.8mm (or less). Film measurements were more accurate in the penumbra region due to the film's finer resolution compared with the gel dosimeter. Following the van Dyk criteria, the PDD values of the film and gel measurements agree within 11% in the buildup region starting from 0.5cm depth and within 2.6 % beyond maximum dose and into the fall-off region for depths up to 5cm. The 2D beam profile isodose lines agree within 0.5mm in all regions for the 0.5×0.5cm2 and the 1×1cm2 fields and within 1mm for the larger field of 2×2cm2 . The 2D PDD curves agree within approximately 2% of the maximum in the typical therapy region (1-4cm) for the 1×1cm2 and 2×2cm2 and within 5% for the 0.5×0.5cm2 field. This work provides a commissioning process to measure the beam characteristics of a fixed beam MV accelerator with detailed dosimetric evaluation for its implementation in megavoltage small animal irradiation studies. Radiochromic gel dosimeters are efficient small-field relative dosimetry tools providing 3D dose measurements allowing for full representation of dose, dosimeter misalignment corrections and high reproducibility with low inter-dosimeter variability. Overall, radiochromic gels are valuable for fast, full relative dosimetry commissioning in comparison to films for application in high-energy small-field animal irradiation studies.

Experimental determination of magnetic field correction factors for ionization chambers in parallel and perpendicular orientations

Magnetic field correction factors are needed for absolute dosimetry in magnetic resonance (MR)-linacs. Currently experimental data for magnetic field correction factors, especially for small volume ionization chambers, are largely lacking. The purpose of this work is to establish, independent methods for the experimental determination of magnetic field correction factors in an orientation in which the ionization chamber is parallel to the magnetic field. The aim is to confirm previous experiments on the determination of Farmer type ionization chamber correction factors and to gather information about the usability of small-volume ionization chambers for absolute dosimetry in MR-linacs. The first approach to determine is based on a cross-calibration of measurements using a conventional linac with an electromagnet and an MR-linac. The absolute influence of the magnetic field in perpendicular orientation is quantified with the help of the conventional linac and the electromagnet. The correction factors for the parallel orientation are then derived by combining these measurements with relative measurements in the MR-linac. The second technique utilizes alanine electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry. The alanine system as well as several ionization chambers were directly calibrated with the German primary standard for absorbed dose to water. Magnetic field correction factors for the ionization chambers were determined by a cross-calibration with the alanine in an MR-linac. Important quantities like for Farmer type ionization chambers in parallel orientation and the change of the dose to water due the magnetic field have been confirmed. In addition, magnetic field correction factors have been determined for small volume ionization chambers in parallel orientation. The electromagnet-based measurements of for MR-linacs and parallel ionization chamber orientations resulted in 0.9926(22), 0.9935(31) and 0.9841(27) for the PTW 30013, the PTW 31010 and the PTW 31021, respectively. The measurements based on the second technique resulted in values for of 0.9901(72), 0.9955(72), and 0.9885(71). Both methods show excellent accuracy and reproducibility and are therefore suitable for the determination of magnetic field correction factors. Small-volume ionization chambers showed a variation in the resulting values for and should be cross-calibrated instead of using tabulated values for correction factors.

Development of a design for an ionisation vacuum gauge suitable as a reference standard

The EURAMET EMPIR project “16NRM05 - Ion gauge” aims to develop an ionisation vacuum gauge suitable as a reference vacuum standard. In such a gauge the electron trajectories and their kinetic energy inside the ionisation volume should be well defined and stable. In the search for a suitable design, a series of simulations on different ionisation gauge concepts that have the potential to meet stringent stability requirements have been carried out. Different software packages were used for this purpose. This paper focuses on the design aspects and the performance of the different ionisation gauge concepts that have been investigated by simulation. Parameters such as ionisation gauge sensitivity, ion collection efficiency and electron transmission efficiency, have been determined as a function of emission current, pressure and electron source alignment.

A velocity map imaging apparatus optimised for high-resolution crossed molecular beam experiments

We present the design of a Velocity Map Imaging apparatus tailored to the demands of high-resolution crossed molecular beam experiments employing Stark or Zeeman decelerators. The key requirements for these experiments consist of the combination of a high-relative velocity resolution for large ionisation volumes and a broad range of relatively low lab-frame velocities. The SIMION software package was employed to systematically optimise the electrode geometries and electrical configuration. The final design consists of a stack of 16 tubular electrodes, electrically connected with resistors, which is divided into three electric field regions. The resulting apparatus allows for an inherent velocity blurring of less than for NO ions originating from a ionisation volume, which is negligible in a typical crossed beam experiment. The design was recently employed in several state of the art crossed-beam experiments, allowing the observation of fine details in the velocity distributions of the scattered molecules.

Transport dynamics in a high-brightness magneto-optical-trap Li ion source

Laser-cooled gases offer an alternative to tip-based methods for generating high-brightness ion beams for focused ion beam applications. These sources produce ions by photoionization of ultracold neutral atoms, where the narrow velocity distribution associated with microkelvin-level temperatures results in a very low emittance, high-brightness ion beam. In a magneto-optical trap-based ion source, the brightness is ultimately limited by the transport of cold neutral atoms, which restricts the current that can be extracted from the ion-generating volume. We explore the dynamics of this transport in a 7Li magneto-optical trap ion source by performing time-dependent measurements of the depletion and refilling of the ionization volume in a pulsed source. An analytic microscopic model for the transport is developed, and this model shows excellent agreement with the measured results.

Estimation of the cable effect in megavoltage photon beam by measurement and Monte Carlo simulation.

Ionization chambers are widely used for dosimetry with megavoltage photon beams. Several properties of ionization chambers, including the cable effect, polarity effect, and ion recombination loss, are described in standard dosimetry protocols. The cable effect is categorized as the leakage current and Compton current, and careful consideration of these factors has been described not only in reference dosimetry but also in large fields. However, the mechanism of Compton current in the cable has not been investigated thoroughly. The cable effect of ionization chambers in 6MV X-ray beam was evaluated by measurement, and the mechanism of Compton current was investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. Four PTW ionization chambers (TM30013, TM31010, TM31014, and TM31016) with the same type of mounted cable, but different ionization volumes, were used to measure output factor (OPF) and cable effect measurement. The OPF was measured to observe any variation resulting from the cable effect. The cable effect was evaluated separately for the leakage current and Compton current, and its charge per absorbed dose to water per cable length was estimated by a newly proposed method. The behavior of electrons and positrons in the core wire was analyzed and the Compton current for the photon beam was estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. In OPF measurement, the difference in the electrometer readings by polarity became obvious for the mini- or microchamber and its difference tended to be larger for a chamber with a smaller ionization volume. For the cable effect measurement, it was determined that the contribution of the leakage current to the cable effect was ignorable, while the Compton current was dominant. The charge due to the Compton current per absorbed dose to water per cable length was estimated to be 0.36±0.03pC Gy-1 cm-1 for PTW ionization chambers. As a result, the contribution of the Compton current to the electrometer readings was estimated to be 0.002%cm-1 for the Farmer-type, 0.011%cm-1 for the scanning, and 0.088%cm-1 for microchambers, respectively. By the simulation, it was determined that the Compton current for MV x-ray could be explained by not only recoil electrons due to Compton scattering but also positron due to pair production. The Compton current estimated by the difference in outflowing and inflowing charge was 0.45pC Gy-1 cm-1 and was comparable with the measured value. The cable effect, which includes the leakage current and Compton current, was quantitatively estimated for several chambers from measurements, and the mechanism of Compton current was investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. It was determined that the Compton current is a dominant component of the cable effect and its charge is consistently positive and nearly the same, irrespective of the ionization chamber volume. The contribution of Compton current to the electrometer readings was estimated for chambers. The mechanism of Compton current was analyzed and it was confirmed that the Compton current can be estimated from the difference in outflowing and inflowing charge to and from the core wire.

Quantification of neurotransmitters in microdialysate samples following quetiapine dosing to schizophrenia phenotyped rats using a validated LC-MS/MS method

A versatile method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of the monoamine neurotransmitters (MNT) dopamine (DA), 3–4-dyhydroxyphenilacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanilic acid (HVA), serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) in rat brain microdialysate samples using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The method allowed for small sample volume, using positive and negative ionization mode in a single run analysis without any derivatization or cleanup steps. Analytes were quantified at concentrations ranging from 100 ng/mL to 0.05, 10, 0.5, 0.1 or 1 ng/mL (lower limit of quantification, LLOQ) of DA, DOPAC, HVA, 5-HT and 5-HIAA, respectively, showing linearity (r > 0.98), accuracy, and precision (R.S.D ± 15%) according to validation limits accepted by international guidelines. The method was successfully applied for monitoring the concentration changes of MNT in microdialysate samples from medium prefrontal cortex of Wistar rats in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia before and after quetiapine 5 mg/kg i.v. bolus dose administration. No alterations in MNTs were observed in schizophrenia phenotyped rats (SPR) in comparison to the baseline shading a light on the limited response rate to antipsychotic drugs observed in chronic schizophrenic patients.

Production of clean rare isotope beams at TRIUMF ion guide laser ion source

Hot cavity resonant ionization laser ion sources (RILIS) provide a multitude of radioactive ion beams with high ionization efficiency and element selective ionization. However, in hot cavity RILIS there still remains isobaric contaminations in the extracted beam from surface ionized species. An ion guide-laser ion source (IG-LIS) has been implemented that decouples the hot isotope production region from the laser ionization volume. A number of IG-LIS runs have been conducted to provide isobar free radioactive ion beams for experiments. Isobar suppression of up to 106 has been achieved, however, IG-LIS still suffers from an intensity loss of 50-100X as compared to hot cavity RILIS. Operating parameters for IG-LIS are being optimized and design improvements are being implemented into the prototype for robust and efficient on-line operation. Recent SIMION ion optics simulation results and the ongoing development status of the IG-LIS are presented.

Evaluation of a pixelated large format CMOS sensor for x-ray microbeam radiotherapy.

PurposeCurrent techniques and procedures for dosimetry in microbeams typically rely on radiochromic film or small volume ionization chambers for validation and quality assurance in 2D and 1D, respectively. Whilst well characterized for clinical and preclinical radiotherapy, these methods are noninstantaneous and do not provide real time profile information. The objective of this work is to determine the suitability of the newly developed vM1212 detector, a pixelated CMOS (complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor) imaging sensor, for in situ and in vivo verification of x‐ray microbeams.MethodsExperiments were carried out on the vM1212 detector using a 220 kVp small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) at the Helmholtz Centre Munich. A 3 x 3 cm2 square piece of EBT3 film was placed on top of a marked nonfibrous card overlaying the sensitive silicon of the sensor. One centimeter of water equivalent bolus material was placed on top of the film for build‐up. The response of the detector was compared to an Epson Expression 10000XL flatbed scanner using FilmQA Pro with triple channel dosimetry. This was also compared to a separate exposure using 450 µm of silicon as a surrogate for the detector and a Zeiss Axio Imager 2 microscope using an optical microscopy method of dosimetry. Microbeam collimator slits with range of nominal widths of 25, 50, 75, and 100 µm were used to compare beam profiles and determine sensitivity of the detector and both film measurements to different microbeams.ResultsThe detector was able to measure peak and valley profiles in real‐time, a significant reduction from the 24 hr self‐development required by the EBT3 film. Observed full width at half maximum (FWHM) values were larger than the nominal slit widths, ranging from 130 to 190 µm due to divergence. Agreement between the methods was found for peak‐to‐valley dose ratio (PVDR), peak to peak separation and FWHM, but a difference in relative intensity of the microbeams was observed between the detectors.ConclusionsThe investigation demonstrated that pixelated CMOS sensors could be applied to microbeam radiotherapy for real‐time dosimetry in the future, however the relatively large pixel pitch of the vM1212 detector limit the immediate application of the results.

Calculation of the effects of electric fields on ionization by electrons emitted in a parallel plate ionization chamber irradiated with 60Co γ-rays

The effects of applied voltage on a parallel plate ionization chamber irradiated with 60Co γ-rays were investigated by performing calculations using EGS5 code, which incorporates the electromagnetic field. It was confirmed that the signal current from the chamber increases or decreases linearly beyond the recombination region, when positive or negative voltage is applied to the polarizing electrode, respectively, which is in agreement with the existing measurements. It was also confirmed that the voltage dependence is due to the stopping power of air, which increases or decreases as the secondary electrons are decelerated or accelerated in the electric field, respectively, because the electrons are emitted forward more than backward. The calculated rate of increase in the signal current was smaller than the experimental ones, and the calculated rate of decrease was larger than the experimental ones. Numerical calculations were performed to investigate the effects of the electric field on the number of ion pairs produced by electrons with energy less than 1 keV, which are emitted in the ionization chamber; this effect is not accounted for by the EGS5 code. It was revealed that the number of ion pairs increases with an increase in the electric field strength. The increase cannot be attributed to the Townsend primary ionization mechanism and takes place even at very low electric field strength. This theoretical correction improves the agreement of the calculation with experiment for both the positive and negative applied voltages. The contribution of the charge of secondary electrons which exit and alive at electrodes or the ionization volume on the signal current from the ionization chamber was also discussed.

Output correction factors for small static fields in megavoltage photon beams for seven ionization chambers in two orientations - perpendicular and parallel.

PurposeThe goal of the present work was to provide a large set of detector‐specific output correction factors for seven small volume ionization chambers on two linear accelerators in four megavoltage photon beams utilizing perpendicular and parallel orientation of ionization chambers in the beam for nominal field sizes ranging from 0.5 cm2 × 0.5 cm2 to 10 cm2 × 10 cm2. The present study is the second part of an extensive research conducted by our group.MethodsOutput correction factors kQclin,Qreffclin,fref were experimentally determined on two linacs, Elekta Versa HD and Varian TrueBeam for 6 and 10 MV beams with and without flattening filter for nine square fields ranging from 0.5 cm2 × 0.5 cm2 to 10 cm2 × 10 cm2, for seven mini and micro ionization chambers, IBA CC04, IBA Razor, PTW 31016 3D PinPoint, PTW 31021 3D Semiflex, PTW 31022 3D PinPoint, PTW 31023 PinPoint, and SI Exradin A16. An Exradin W1 plastic scintillator and EBT3 radiochromic films were used as the reference detectors.ResultsFor all ionization chambers, values of output correction factors kQclin,Qreffclin,fref were lower for parallel orientation compared to those obtained in the perpendicular orientation. Five ionization chambers from our study set, IBA Razor, PTW 31016 3D PinPoint, PTW 31022 3D PinPoint, PTW 31023 PinPoint, and SI Exradin A16, fulfill the requirement recommended in the TRS‐483 Code of Practice, that is, 0.95<kQclin,Qreffclin,fref<1.05, down to the field size 0.8 cm2 × 0.8 cm2, when they are positioned in parallel orientation; two of the ionization chambers, IBA Razor and PTW 31023 PinPoint, satisfy this condition down to the field size of 0.5 cm2 × 0.5 cm2.ConclusionsThe present paper provides experimental results of detector‐specific output correction factors for seven small volume ionization chambers. Output correction factors were determined in 6 and 10 MV photon beams with and without flattening filter down to the square field size of 0.5 cm2 × 0.5 cm2 for two orientations of ionization chambers — perpendicular and parallel. Our main finding is that output correction factors are smaller if they are determined in a parallel orientation compared to those obtained in a perpendicular orientation for all ionization chambers regardless of the photon beam energy, filtration, or linear accelerator being used. Based on our findings, we recommend using ionization chambers in parallel orientation, to minimize corrections in the experimental determination of field output factors. Latter holds even for field sizes below 1.0 cm2 × 1.0 cm2, whenever necessary corrections remain within 5%, which was the case for several ionization chambers from our set.TRS‐483 recommended perpendicular orientation of ionization chambers for the determination of field output factors. The present study presents results for both perpendicular and parallel orientation of ionization chambers. When validated by other researchers, the present results for parallel orientation can be considered as a complementary dataset to those given in TRS‐483.