Lineal energy calibration of a mini-TEPC via the proton-edge technique

Highlights: • Study of the p-edge lineal energy calibration technique for mini-TEPCs. • Lineal energy calibration with FLUKA energy deposition spectra. • Values for the e-edge marker as another calibration technique. • Calibration factor obtained in both isotropic and mono-directional radiation field. • Conversion of the calibration factors in water. The possibility to calibrate microdosimetric spectra using the proton- and electron-edge was proposed many years ago. It consists of two steps: first identifying the edge and a marker point on it and then ascribing the correct lineal energy value to the position of the edge in the event size spectrum. The purpose of this work is to study rigorously the marker identification for the proton-edge in the mini-TEPC spectra measured in neutron and in clinical proton fields, and the correspondent lineal energy value to assign to it.