Experimental determination of the average energy necessary for the production of an ion pair in air

The determination of the average energy Wbarsub(a) necessary to form an ion pair in air in a 60Co beam (which is one of the French primary references in dosimetry) is obtained from measurements of the exposure and absorbed doses from the beam in the center of a graphite disc. The differential flux density of the beam having been measured the experimental value of Wbarsub(a) is obtained for a mean real photon energy. The so determined value of Wbarsub(a) in dry air is: Wbarsub(a) = 33,96 +-0.34 JC-1 for Ebar = 1150 keV. This result is then compared to different published values. From this comparison the importance of different correcting terms such as the air humidity correction and the carbon/air stopping power ratio, which constitutes the main source of uncertainty, are considered. (author)