Response of Alanine Dosemeter to Heavy Ions

The amino acid L-α-alanine has been investigated for use as a radiation detector in low and high LET radiation fields1]. The radiatioa detector is cheap and easy to handle. The radiation inducing free radicals are stable at normal laboratory conditions for doses below 10^4 Gy over a long period of time, which makes the detector useful for intercomparison and documentation purposes. The dosimetric features of alanine-based electron spin resonance (ESR) detectors in high energy electron beams used in radiotherapy were considered2]. The 5 mm long alanine detectors were found to be the most suitable for carrying out in vivo dosimetry on patients undergoing electron beam radiotherapy. However, data concerning dosimetry of the alanine dosemeter to heavy charged particles are lacking, especially in China.