Response and Monte Carlo evaluation of a reference ionization chamber for radioprotection level at calibration laboratories

•A special ionization chamber, inserted in a slab phantom, was designed and evaluated.•This dosimeter was utilized for the Hp(10) determination.•The evaluation of this dosimeter followed international standards.•The PENELOPE Monte Carlo code was used to evaluate the design of this dosimeter.•The tests indicated that this dosimeter may be used as a reference dosimeter.

A special parallel plate ionization chamber, inserted in a slab phantom for the personal dose equivalent Hp(10) determination, was developed and characterized in this work. This ionization chamber has collecting electrodes and window made of graphite, and the walls and phantom made of PMMA. The tests comprise experimental evaluation following international standards and Monte Carlo simulations, employing the PENELOPE code to evaluate the design of this new dosimeter. The experimental tests were conducted employing the radioprotection level quality N-60 established at the IPEN, and all results were within the recommended standards.