Water equivalent properties of materials commonly used in proton dosimetry.

The depth-dose distribution of proton beams in materials currently used in dosimetry measurements, such as liquid water, PMMA or graphite are calculated with the SEICS (Simulation of Energetic Ions and Clusters through Solids) code, where all the relevant effects in the evaluation of the energy deposited by the beam in the target are included, such as electronic energy-loss (including energy-loss straggling), multiple elastic scattering, electronic charge-exchange processes, and nuclear fragmentation interactions. Water equivalent properties are obtained for different proton beam energies and several targets of interest in dosimetry.