COMPUTATIONAL DOSIMETRY

A definition of the term 'Computational Dosimetry' is presented that i s interpreted as the sub-discipline of computational physics which is devoted to radiation metrology. It is shown that computational dosimet ry is more than a mere collection of computational methods. Computatio nal simulations directed at basic understanding and modelling are impo rtant tools provided by computational dosimetry, while another very im portant application is the support that it can give to the design, opt imisation and analysis of experiments. However, the primary task of co mputational dosimetry is to reduce the variance in the determination o f absorbed dose (and its related quantities), for example in the disci plines of radiological protection and radiation therapy. In this paper emphasis is given to the discussion of potential pitfalls in the appl ications of computational dosimetry and recommendations are given for their avoidance. The need for comparison of calculated and experimenta l data whenever possible is strongly stressed.