Summary report of the 'CONRAD-WP4-computational dosimetry' EU action (2005-2007)

Since the beginning of 2005 a European project (CONRAD) was established within the 6th framework programme of the European Union aimed at coordinating research activities in the various fields of radiation dosimetry: computational dosimetry (WP-4), Internal dosimetry (WP-5), complex field dosimetry (WP-6) and medical staff dosimetry (WP-7). The present paper deals with the presentation of the main results obtained within computational dosimetry working group during the last three years and recently summarized in an International workshop 'Uncertainty Assessment in Computational Dosimetry: A comparison of approaches', held in Bologna (Italy) from October 8th to 10th 2007. The work carried out within the computational dosimetry working group was in large part transversal to the other three WPs, especially due to the fact that nowadays computer modelling has become a necessary approach to a reliable dose estimate procedure. The main topics treated in the action were: - Monte Carlo aided in vivo measurements of bone seeker nuclides in a knee phantom; - Medical staff dosimetry studies in interventional radiology; - Measurements and simulations for high energy radiation fields (e.g. Carbon ion accelerator); - Macro and nanodosimetry issues; - A series of 7 standard problems, supported with experimental data was proposed for an international comparison, on the following topics: recoil proton telescope detector response function, Bonner sphere spectrometer response function, simulated workplace neutron field around the SIGMA thermal neutron facility, design of a reference photon irradiation facilities, standard metrology for neutron sources based on the Manganese bath technique, fast neutron transport in iron spheres, energy response characteristic of a RADFET solid state radiation detector. Due to space reasons only selected topics are briefly addressed in the present paper. A complete discussion on the whole aspects of the concerted action can be found in the workshop proceedings. (author)