Monte Carlo calculation of beam quality correction factors in proton beams using detailed simulation of ionization chambers.

This work calculates beam quality correction factors (kQ) in monoenergetic proton beams using detailed Monte Carlo simulation of ionization chambers. It uses the Monte Carlo code penh and the electronic stopping powers resulting from the adoption of two different sets of mean excitation energy values for water and graphite: (i) the currently ICRU 37 and ICRU 49 recommended Iw = 75 eV and Ig = 78 eV and (ii) the recently proposed Iw = 78 eV and Ig = 81.1 eV. Twelve different ionization chambers were studied. The k Q factors calculated using the two different sets of I-values were found to agree with each other within 1.6% or better. k Q factors calculated using current ICRU I-values were found to agree within 2.3% or better with the k Q factors tabulated in IAEA TRS-398, and within 1% or better with experimental values published in the literature. k Q factors calculated using the new I-values were also found to agree within 1.1% or better with the experimental values. This work concludes that perturbation correction factors in proton beams--currently assumed to be equal to unity--are in fact significantly different from unity for some of the ionization chambers studied.