Improved dose sensitivity of normoxic polyacrylamide gelatin gel dosimeter with sucrose

Abstract

To improve the dose sensitivity of normoxic polyacrylamide gelatin gel (nPAG) dosimeter, the effect of sucrose as an additive is investigated. The dose-transverse relaxation rate (R₂) characteristics of the samples of nPAG with different sucrose concentrations were examined, and temperature increases due to exothermic polymerization reaction in the irradiated gel were also measured. As the result, the dose-R₂ sensitivity increased (~3 times) with increasing sucrose concentrations (0–25%), while other characteristics of dose response, such as dose integral property, dose rate dependence and temporal stability, were consistent with those of typical nPAG dosimeter. And as the sucrose concentrations increased, a larger temperature increase was observed. These results clearly indicate that the polymerization rate is increased with increasing sucrose concentrations.