A new method to determine ratios of electron stopping powers to an improved accuracy

A new method is presented to determine the ratio of electron stopping powers which is effective in the transfer of absorbed dose from one medium to another. The method involves an accurate measurement of the electron range in each of the media combined with a full Monte Carlo simulation of each experimental geometry. For the specific case of graphite and water, the uncertainty attainable is estimated to be around ± 0.5% at the 95% confidence level, which is approximately a factor of three better than the best methods currently in use. (author)