Some comments on the concept of absorbed dose

The main physical quantity for the evaluation of the induced effects by radiation ionizing is absorbed dose. ICRU report 51 defines this concept as quantity dε divided by dm, where dε is the mean energy imparted by radiation ionizing to matter of mass dm. However, nothing is said about the average operation concerning the stochastic energy imparted ε. Nevertheless, because considers the sum of all changes of rest mass of the involved nuclei and elementary particles in all interactions which occur within the mass (i.e. nuclear reactions and transformations of elementary particles), the average operation can not be done with an equilibrium statistical operator, rather, this has to be defined with a non-equilibrium statistical operator, therefore, absorbed dose is a function dependent on time. Furthermore, we present a discussion to clarify the equilibrium radiation and charged particle equilibrium within the context of thermodynamic equilibrium. (Author)