Lectures on Radiation Dosimety Physics

This book is based on course notes from Medical Physics 501, a quite famous course in the Medical Physics Department of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. All of this material derives very heavily from Frank "Herb" Attix, the course's original instructor. It also benefited from Thomas Rockwell Mackie, the course's second instructor, who innovated by more properly organizing the material. From Alireza Kassaee in Medical Physics…"I find the Lectures on Radiation Dosimetry Physics a well mathematically illustrated supplemental book for a graduate course in radiation dosimetry. It is also a fine reference for practicing medical physicists who are using the two dosimetry protocols and need to either remind themselves of fundamentals or have a deeper understanding of the details in the protocols without having to refer to many publications and textbooks on the subject." Modern protocols can guide a person toward uncertainties of only 0.5% in the energy deposited per unit mass, the dose. In order to achieve this remarkably low level of uncertainty, one must fully understand all of the subtleties along the way. That is the purpose of this book. This book covers essential physics concepts for understanding and calculating problems in the physical energy deposited in matter from ionizing radiation. The focus of application is on medical uses, both imaging and radiation therapy. There is more weight on radiation therapy throughout the book because of the much greater need for accuracy and precision in that field. This work also draws upon many others, including Paul DeLuca and others in the University of Wisconsin–Madison medical physics and human oncology departments. Also helpful were many of the faculty of the nuclear engineering departments of both Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.