Predicted and Measured Depth Dose Profiles for Pulsed Electron Spectra

In this paper, experimentally measured depth dose profiles for several materials are compared with the theoretical profiles calculated by the electron transport computer code ZEBRA. The experimental profiles were obtained using a unique technique. The materials were exposed to the pulsed electron beam from the flash x-ray at HDL and the materials´ rear surface motion induced by the exposure was measured with a laser interferometer. These measured responses were then converted to velocity histories which can be related to the depth dose profiles. The depth dose profiles of nine materials with atomic numbers ranging from 13 to 79 were measured. For three of these materials, profiles were obtained for more than one electron spectrum. In general the measured and calculated profiles agree with each other well enough to demonstrate the applicability of this experimental technique to a wide range of materials and electron spectra.