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A parameterization of the electron beam output factors of a 25‐MeV linear accelerator
Author(s) -
McParland Brian J.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.596145
Subject(s) - dosimetry , linear particle accelerator , beam (structure) , ionization , physics , cathode ray , electron , computational physics , field (mathematics) , nuclear physics , atomic physics , optics , mathematics , nuclear medicine , quantum mechanics , medicine , ion , pure mathematics
A new parameterization of the output factors of an electron beam has been developed. The output factors for the electron beams of an AECL Therac‐25 have been determined for a variety of square and rectangular fields using ionization measurements and thermoluminescent dosimetry. The data were then least‐squares fit by a semiempirical equation which treats the two field dimensions as variables. Such a parameterization allows computer‐generated tables of output factors to be manufactured. The calculated values agree with the measured data in most cases to within the ±1% experimental uncertainty. A comparison between this method of calculating output factors and two conventional methods is also presented.