Computational Error Using Monoenergetic Photon Source Data for Linear Electron Accelerator Shielding

Abstract

The dose error determined on the basis of recommendations for calculating the shielding of electron accelerators is determined by comparing the photon dose distribution calculated by the Monte Carlo method in concrete, iron, and lead from isotropic monoenergetic sources and sources with the bremsstrahlung spectrum of electron accelerators with energy above 15 MeV. It is shown that the highest error in using the mono-energetic sources to simulate sources of bremsstrahlung is observed for concrete protection and the smallest error is observed for lead. Suggestions are formulated for reducing the errors by means of individual selection of the effective energy of an equivalent monoenergetic source as a function of the energy of the accelerator electrons and the employed material.