A concept for a compton effect based dosimeter calibration system

Detectors and dosimeters are used all over the world for monitoring and detection of radiation. As an estimate device for worker's exposure, a dosimeter must go through a well determined calibration process in a radiation calibration facility, according to international standards. The most common way of calibration is to expose the dosimeter to several mono energy sources, like ²⁴¹Am or ¹³⁷Cs, while changing the source to detector distance. In this work, a single mono energy ¹³⁷Cs source is used to create a wide energy spectrum calibration beam produced by Compton scattering from a copper target. The detector is shifted in a constant radius around the copper target and therefore exposed to energy determined by the angle of the Compton scattered photons. Target geometry optimization was done using the well known MCNP Monte Carlo simulation program and confirmed by experimental measurements. The work done so far, provides a starting point for a commercial dose calibration device based on Compton scattering.