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Measurement of accelerator bremsstrahlung spectra with a high‐efficiency Ge detector
Author(s) -
Landry Danny J.,
Anderson David W.
Publication year - 1991
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 - 10.1118/1.596658
Subject(s) - bremsstrahlung , physics , photon , detector , spectral line , spectrometer , nuclear physics , semiconductor detector , electron , beta particle , compton scattering , atomic physics , optics , astronomy
A Compton spectrometer with a high‐efficiency Ge detector was used to measure photon spectra from clinical accelerators. The response‐function matrix for the detector system was determined using ten radioactive sources that emitted gamma rays of single energy ranging from 279–1525 keV. The system was tested by measuring the spectrum from a 6 0 Co teletherapy machine. The energy distribution of tungsten target bremsstrahlung produced by 2.2, 2.5, 15, 20, and 25 MeV electrons in two clinical accelerators were determined. Theoretical thin‐target calculations overestimate the number of photons in the high‐energy regions of the spectra, as was expected. However, theoretical thick‐target calculations underestimate the numbers of high‐energy photons.