Correlation between ferrous ammonium sulfate concentration, sensitivity and stability of Fricke gel dosimeters exposed to clinical X-ray beams

Abstract This work describes the characterization of various Fricke-Agarose-Xylenol gels (FXG) dosimeters using NMR relaxometry and MRI analysis. Using X-rays from a clinical linear accelerator (LINAC), the gels were irradiated in the dose range from 0 Gy to 20 Gy. The photon sensitivity of the FXGs was measured in terms of NMR relaxation rates; its dependence on radiation dose was determined as a function of ferrous ammonium sulfate contents (from 0.5 mM to 5 mM). Furthermore, the stability of the NMR signal was monitored over several days after irradiation. These measurements were aided by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans which allowed three-dimensional (3D) dose mapping. In order t…