Radiological properties of nanocomposite Fricke gel dosimeters for heavy ion beams

The radiological properties of nanocomposite Fricke gel (NC-FG) dosimeters prepared with different concentrations of nano-clay, perchloric acid and ferrous ions in deaerated conditions were investigated under carbon and argon ion beam irradiation covering a linear-energy-transfer (LET) range of 10 to 3000 eV/nm. We found that NC-FG exhibits radiological properties distinct from those of conventional Fricke gel. The radiation sensitivity of NC-FG is independent of the LET and is nearly constant even at very high LET (3000 eV/nm) values in the Bragg peak region of the argon ion beam. In addition, whereas conventional Fricke gel dosimeters only operate under acidic conditions, NC-FG dosimeters function under both acidic and neutral conditions. The radiation sensitivity decreases with decreasing nano-clay concentration in NC-FG, which indicates that the nano-clay plays a vital role in the radiation-induced oxidation of Fe(2+).