Active heating of large gel dosimeters

Abstract

Temperature uniformity of 3D dosimeters is key factor for accurate measurements. For gel dosimeters larger than 1 litre the time to change from storage to room temperature can be several hours. Local thermal histories within certain dosimeter materials can also cause measurable differences in ionizing radiation response. Passive heating by immersion in a water bath may not be optimum. Active uniform heating of 15 cm diameter, hydrogel, dosimeters using a near-infrared, incandescent light source reduced the time required to heat a hydrogel from 4 to 20°C uniformly from greater than five hours to less than 3 hours.