Author

Daniel Mulrow

Date of Award

Spring 5-15-2023

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Author's Department

Chemistry

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This dissertation covers a wide range of topics but is linked by the common theme of radiation interacting with materials and studying the result of those interactions. The introduction describes the fundamentals of how radiation interacts with material and how we are able to detect that radiation and the application of how we use those interactions in radiation oncology. The thesis starts with a chapter detailing the temperature dependence of the photophysics in two organic scintillators. This chapter is the foundation for a future study that will look the degree to which these scintillators can distinguish between gammas and neutrons at various temperatures. The subsequent six chapters characterize a particular radiation dosimeter, radiochromic film. The characterization of the film is for various models and types of radiation, energy of radiation, and dose rate of the incident radiation. This ultimately culminates in using this type of dosimeter in initial ultra-high dose rate, or FLASH, radiation therapy studies. The concluding chapter provides the initial results of these FLASH studies and outlines the future investigations that will follow the initial steps presented here.

Language

English (en)

Chair and Committee

Lee G. Sobotka Arash Darafsheh

Committee Members

Dewey Holten, John-Stephen Taylor, Buck E. Rogers,

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