Abstract. The effect of the physical state (phase) of the absorbing medium and the energy straggling of the alpha particles on the calculation of the radiation dose due to the daughter products of radon deposited in the lung, have been studied in detail. The stopping power data for alpha particles in water and water vapour have been used. It has been found that the effect of straggling on the stopping power calculations is small, and therefore its contribution to dose calculations is negligible. The phase effect has been found to be dependent on the energy of the alpha particles and the depth in the medium. If the stopping power of water vapour is used instead of that for liquid water, the dose may be overestimated by 5-20 and 1-11% for 6 and 7.7 MeV alpha particles, respectively, at the beginning of alpha range, and underestimated by 15 and 40% respectively for the above energies at the end of the range.

Print publication: Issue 8 (August 1987)