Step-size effect on calculated photon and electron beam Cherenkov-to-dose conversion factors.

Purpose: Previous work presented and validated in-water Cherenkov emission (CE)-based radiotherapy dosimetry. Condensed history Monte Carlo (MC)-calculated electron beam CE-to-dose conversion with <4π CE detection, however, could exhibit step-size dependence. This work presents a physics update and numerical study of this step-size dependence in photon and electron beams, elucidates the CE generation physics, and guides further research.

Methods: The CE-to-dose conversion, k, is calculated for photons (6X, 15X) and electrons (6E, 20E) on-axis in-water with: θ±δθ∈{90°±90°(4π),90°±5°,45°±45°,90°±45°}, 10 cm equivalent square, 100 cm SSD, 1cm voxel radius and beam-dependent length. Relative deviation from single-scattering (SS) simulation is evaluated on maximum fractional electron step energy loss ESTEPE∈0.01-0.25. Standard uncertainties (k=1, 10histories) are reported. A simplified method considering only the straight step direction is also implemented.

Results: No significant step-size effect (>0.1%) was observed for dose and all k, except for surface dosimetry at 90°±5° (-1.6%±0.5%, 20E), which is not recommended. Electron SS deviation uncertainties (k=1), otherwise, varied from <0.2% overall to <0.1% with large apertures. Photon uncertainties varied from <1.1% overall to <0.2% non-superficially with large apertures. The simplified straight-step method exhibited overall greater deviation from SS, most notably -2.8%±0.1% (6E) and -2.5%±0.4% (20E) superficially with 90°±45°, and -1.4%±0.3% (6X) and -0.6%±0.2% (15X) non-superficially with 90°±5° for ESTEPE∈[0.10,0.25].

Conclusions: We demonstrate step-size independence of newly-implemented correction in EGSnrc directional Cherenkov calculations. This advances clinical CE-based dosimetry and is useful for the general Monte Carlo community.