Quantifying temperature-equilibrium time using temperature analysis inside a Farmer ionization chamber

In this study, we propose a methodology for temperature determination of the temperature and pressure correction factor, P(TP), by analyzing the temperature distribution of the modeled ionization chamber taking into account the thermal effect of a water phantom on neighboring materials in the process. Additionally, we present an appropriate temperature-equilibrium time for conducting measurements. The temporal response in the cavity is acquired at 20-s intervals using a Farmer ionization chamber and an electrometer. The initial temperature of the water phantom is 20–25°C with continuous heating/cooling. The temporal response is measured until temperature equilibrium is confirmed, specifically when a temperature difference of 1–5°C is observed between the ionization chamber and the water phantom. Using an ionization-chamber model, temperature distribution is simulated between 20 and 25°C with various parameters set to receive heating and cooling from surrounding media. The results suggest that the temporal response of the ionization chamber essentially coincides with the temperature change at the tip and middle; moreover, the predicted temperature change for temporal response and the simulated temperature of water are different by ~0.16°C at the tip and ~0.79°C at the bottom. Overall, the temperature-equilibration time for absorbed dosimetry is affected by two factors: the cavity wall and the stem side of the cavity; moreover, 400 s is required to obtain complete temperature equilibrium in the water phantom. This analytical study supports the experimental value obtained in previous research. Therefore, analytical representation of the temperature distribution in the ionization chamber is possible.