Content

1 General introduction

2 Direct dose deposition

2.1 Stopping Power - CSDA approximation

2.1.1 Heavy charged particles

2.1.2 Electrons and positrons

2.2 Radiation yield

2.3 Limited stopping power - LET

2.4 Range

2.5 Dose in thin and thick foil

3 Indirect dose deposition

3.1 Photon interactions (rep.)

3.1.1 Transferred energy

3.1.2 Net transferred energy

3.1.3 Transmitted energy

4. Field and dosimetric definitions and units

4.1 Radiation field quantities and units (particle fluence, flux…)

4.2 Radiation interaction quantities (cross sections, attenuation coefficients, stopping powers)

4.3 Dosimetric quantities (exposure, absorbed dose, KERMA)

4.4 Relations between field and dosimetric quantities

4.5 Radiation equilibrium

5 Characterization of beam quality

5.1 Generalities

5.2 KV X-rays

5.3 MV X-rays

5.4 Electron beam specification

5.5 Protons and heavier charged particles

5.6 Energy spectra determination

6 Cavity theory

7 Overview of Radiation Detectors and Measurements

7.1 Generalities

7.2 Detector response and calibration coefficient

7.3 Absolute, reference, and relative dosimetry

7.4 General characteristics and desirable properties of detectors

7.5 Brief description of various types of detectors from the point-of-view of the medical physicist

8 Primary radiation standards

9 Ion chambrer measurements

9.1 Basic principles

9.2 Correction for influence quantities: temperature-pressure, polarity, ion recombination

10 Reference dosimetry

10.1 For MV beams

10.2 For kV beams

11 Small field dosimetry

Course material

The course associates regular theoretical lectures and in-class exercises. All theoretical lectures are either pre-recorded or recorded (if pre-record is not available). Therefore, in-class teaching can be adapted depending on the requests of the students present in class. When a pre-record is available, we favor a dynamic teaching with large developments on the black board on specific parts of the course. The students are encouraged to vision the pre-recorded courses before the in-class session so that they can ask specific questions and developments.

Some exercises will be solved in class, while others should be solved at home. Solutions to the exercises will be provided during the semester. Students who cannot attend physically are strongly encouraged to contact the teacher in case of a difficulty to solve an exercise.

The introduction to the course (course schedule; presentation of summary and teaching material; evaluation methodology; practical considerations) will be streamed and recorded.

After the introduction, no streaming is foreseen for the courses when a pre-record is available. This is the default format (no streaming, but a pre-recorded course). In the case a  pre-record is not available, the course will follow a classic format with a power point presentation. In the latter case (no pre-record), and only in that case, the courses will be streamed as well. It will be made clear to all students when a streaming option will be made available. But the students should assume there is no streaming option.  There will be many possibilities for the students having difficutlies to come to the course to ask their questions. Specific (streamed) sessions could be envisaged for answering questions.  

The contents that will be subject to evaluation are the ones and only the ones available in recorded material (slides and explanations) + the exercises. 

Teaching material

• Mandatory
  • Recorded theoretical lectures
  • Course slides
  • Exercises with their solutions
• Support (optional)
  • Papers
  • “Fundamentals of Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry”, by Andreo, Burns, Nahum, Seuntjens, and Attix (Wiley, 2017)
  • "Handbook of Radiotherapy Physics" (Mayles, Nahum, Rosenwald)