The calibration of plane parallel ionisation chambers for the measurement of absorbed dose in electron beams of low to medium energies. Part 1: the NACP chamber.

A study was made of calibrating the NACP plane parallel chamber in electron beams from linear accelerators of a different manufacture with energies, Ep,o' from 4.4 to 19.1 MeV, and also in 4 and 6 MV photon beams as well as a cobalt60 beam. The photon beam measurements were both IN-AIR and IN-PHANTOM. With the exception of the lowest energy electron beam (nominal 5 MeV), the ND values from measurements in the electron beams were within +/- 1% of the average value from the three different methods according to the AAPM TG 39 protocol. The preferred method of calibration of an electron chamber is of course in an electron beam at R100 in water. This can still be done in medium energy electron beams (nominal 7 to 14 MeV) for the NACP chamber with the same degree of accuracy and precision as with AAPM TG 39 methodology. Alternatively the traditional cobalt-60 calibration beam can be replaced by a low energy (4-6MV) photon beam for in-phantom calibrations at 50 mm depth, giving comparable results, and with no more uncertainties than those obtained in electron beams.