Correlation of optically and thermally stimulated luminescence of natural fluorite pellets

Natural fluorite (CaF₂), a dosimetric material of large usage, presents Thermoluminescence (TL) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL). This study examined the behavior of TL and OSL (stimulated with Blue LEDs) signals from the Brazilian natural fluorite pellets with NaCl as binding agent, as well as their correlations, in order to study and optimize the dosimetric process with this material. A series of experiments were conducted, basically with thermal treatments before OSL acquisition, and optical bleaching before TL readout. The role of NaCl in the TL and OSL emission was investigated. It was observed that natural CaF₂ TL signal is still ample to be used in dosimetric applications, as dose re-assessment in personal dosimetry after an OSL measurement. Also it was verified that the fluorite OSL signal is extinguished by a 350 °C heating and that NaCl has no contribution to the stable part of the OSL signal.     

Critical view on TL/OSL properties of Li2B4O7 nanoparticles doped with Cu,Ag and co-doping Cu,Ag: Dose response study

Small size (25 nm) Li₂B₄O₇ nanoparticles doped with different concentrations of Cu, Ag and co-doped with Cu, Ag were prepared by solid state sintering at 700 °C. The crystalline phase and particle sizes analysis were carried out by XRD and TEM. FTIR study reveals the formation of vibrational bonds at 1600–1200 cm⁻¹, 1500–700 cm⁻¹, 950–870 cm⁻¹ and 870–415 cm⁻¹. The kinetic parameters of the TL glow curves were evaluated using CGCD procedure in R-software. The CW-OSL decay curves were fitted with third order exponential decay curves and photoionization cross sections of each component were evaluated. The lifetime of the main TL dosimetric peak were also calculated to check the stability of the signal. Dose responses of the synthesized Li₂B₄O₇ nanoparticles for both the TL and CW-OSL were studied in the range of 0.02 mGy to50 Gy and found to be linear upto this range. Fading of the CW-OSL decay curves were also studied. The MDD of the synthesized samples were also calculated and observed to be 15 μGy.     

Energy response of the TL detectors based on YAlO3:Mn crystals

This study demonstrates the energy response of thermoluminescent (TL) detectors based on YAlO₃:Mn crystals. Experimental results of the relative sensitivity of YAlO₃:Mn²⁺ detectors to various kinds of photon radiation (from ⁶⁰Со, ¹³¹Cs, ¹⁹²Ir, and ¹³⁷Cs isotopes; X-ray from 220 kVp; and photon radiation from a linear accelerator (LINAC) at 5, 10, and 15 MV) agree with the theoretical energy response from Monte Carlo simulation. In addition to YAlO₃ (YAP), energy response was calculated for other yttrium-containing oxides such as Y₂O₃, Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG), and Y₄Al₂O₉ (YAM). A possibility of filtering (modification) of the energy response of high atomic number (Z) materials by the metallic filters was shown.     

Mechanisms of TL for production of the 230 °C peak in natural sodalite

The thermoluminescence (TL) peak in natural sodalite near 230 °C, which appears only after submitted to thermal treatments and to gamma irradiation, has been studied in parallel with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum appearing under the same procedure. This study revealed a full correlation between the 230 °C TL peak and the eleven hyperfine lines from EPR spectrum. In both case, the centers disappear at the same temperature and are restored after gamma irradiation. A complete model for the 230 °C TL peak is presented and discussed. In addition to the correlation and TL model, specific characteristics of the TL peaks are described.     

Low dose TL characteristics of Nigerian fluorite

Nigerian fluorite has been characterized by β-irradiation for thermoluminescence in the low dose range (40 μGy–72 mGy). The glow curves exhibit 3 peaks recorded at 111 ± 11 °C, 196 ± 2 °C and 282 ± 4 °C at the heating rate of 5 °C s^?1. The two high temperature peaks exhibit a linear response over the range of study. The minimum detectable dose for each of the observed peaks has been determined and the lowest detection limit of fluorite was also determined. A complex fading pattern was observed for the phosphor and the possible source of the TL buildup has been discussed.     

TL and PTTL in natural fluorite previously irradiated with gamma rays and heavy ions

The effect of annealing temperature on the phototransfer thermoluminescence (PTTL) signal was studied to determine the appropriate annealing temperature for treating the natural powder before irradiation. The temperatures used to anneal virgin natural fluorite samples (only natural dose without giving the samples any artificial doses) were 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650 and 750°C for a duration of 1 h in each case. The results show that the PTTL response did not change for anneal temperatures up to 450°C, but at higher temperatures the signal decreased rapidly. The height of the 90°C peak decreased by two orders of magnitude as the anneal temperature increased from 450 to 750°C, whilst the height of the 180°C peak decreased by three orders of magnitude between the same two annealing temperatures. In order to investigate the effect of previous gamma rays and heavy ion irradiation on thermoluminescence (TL) and PTTL signals, powdered samples of natural fluorite from Cornwall, England, were annealed at 500°C and then irradiated (at GSI, Darmstadt, Germany) with ¹⁶¹Dy ions of energy 13 Mev/n; the range of fluences used was from 10⁴ to 10¹² ion cm⁻². Identical samples were given gamma doses in the range 1 Gy to 2.6 × 10⁴ Gy in order to compare the effects of gamma rays and heavy ions. The sensitivities of TL and PTTL were studied by giving the samples a gamma test dose of 1 Gy after annealing the samples at 500°C for 30 min in order to eliminate the TL resulting from previous gamma or heavy ion irradiation.     

Analysis of TL and OSL kinetics of lithium aluminate

Lithium aluminate (LiAlO₂) polycrystalline material showing high OSL sensitivity and linear dose response was prepared at IFJ Krakow. The kinetic parameters of OSL and TL processes were evaluated using various experimental techniques: LM-OSL deconvolution, TL glow-curve deconvolution, variable heating rate and isothermal decay. The OSL signal was found to consist of four components, one of them exhibiting a very slow decay. The TL glow-curve possesses two apparent peaks at approximately 85 °C and at 165 °C, which both seem to follow first order kinetics. These peaks seem to have a composite structure and as many as six peaks were found in the glow-curve.     

TL,OA and ESR of spessartine garnet

Thermoluminescence (TL), optical absorption (OA), electron spin resonance (ESR) and their relation to point defects in spessartine have been investigated. The TL glow curve presented four peaks at 150, 220, 260 and 335 °C. The 150 and 335 °C TL peaks growth curves presented a linear growth with radiation dose up to about 400 Gy, supralinearity above this dose, and saturation around 800–1000 Gy. The OA spectrum presented allowed spin transition bands due to Fe³⁺ and Mn²⁺ in dodecahedral environment. Absorption bands due to ultraviolet charge transfer of Fe³⁺ in octahedral and tetrahedral positions were also observed. Two ESR, a strong one around g?～?2 due to Fe³⁺ in octahedral position, and another weaker one at g?～?4 due to Fe³⁺ in tetrahedral position, have been detected. The effect of high temperature annealing (600–900 °C) before irradiation was also investigated.     

Nanodosimetric kinetic model incorporating localized and delocalized recombination: Application to the prediction of the electron dose response of the peak 5a/5 ratio in the glow curve of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100)

A kinetic model combining both localized and delocalized recombination is described which is based on different filling rates as a function of irradiation electron energy of a spatially correlated trapping center/luminescent center (TC/LC) complex. Following irradiation and thermal de-trapping the locally trapped electron-hole configuration is assumed to give rise to peak 5a and the e-only configuration to peak 5 in the glow curve of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100). The model is capable of simulating the linear/supralinear dose response of composite peak 5, the dependence of the supralinearity on photon energy and the ratio of the intensities of peak 5a to peak 5 as a function of dose. However, this is achieved only by invoking the presence of band-tail states which allow thermally induced hopping leading to semi-localized recombination in the recombination mechanism of the e-only configuration.     

Dose response of F center optical absorption in LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100)

Optical absorption (OA) of nominally pure single crystal LiF following beta irradiation was measured in order to estimate, the energy and width of the dominant F-band with minimum interference from dopant-related bands. The OA dose response of LiF:Mg,Ti was measured to 30,000 Gy, a level of dose sufficiently high to observe total saturation of the F band, which, we believe, reduces uncertainty in the estimation of the dose filling constant. The dose filling constants for the OA bands associated with the trapping center (4 eV) and competitive center (5.45 eV) responsible for the major dosimetric TL glow peak 5 were also determined. The results of these studies will be used in the framework of a kinetic model which includes the effects of radiation created defects and which will aid in the investigation of the capability of Track Structure Theory to predict OA heavy charged particle (HCP) relative efficiencies.     

TL and OSL dosimetric properties of Opal gemstone for gamma radiation dosimetry

In this work, the response of the natural material Opal was studied in relation to its thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), after exposure to the gamma radiation of a ⁶⁰Co source. The structure of the powdered Opal was verified using the X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The material, in its stone form, was turned into powder and mixed to Teflon (also in powder) in three different concentrations, and then pellets were manufactured. The aim of this work was to evaluate the response of these pellets in high-doses of gamma radiation beams, and to observe their possible application as dosimeters, using the TL and OSL techniques. The dosimetric properties of the samples were analyzed by means of different tests, as: TL emission curves and OSL signal decay curves, reproducibility of TL and OSL response, minimum detectable dose, TL and OSL dose–response curves (5 Gy–10 kGy), and fading. The results obtained in this work, for the TL and OSL phenomena, demonstrated that the pellets of Opal + Teflon present an adequate performance e possibility of use as dosimeters in beams of high-dose gamma radiation.     

Effects of pre-irradiation treatment on EPR,optical absorption and TL of albite

In the present work pre-irradiation annealing effect was investigated in albite, NaAlSi 3 O 8 , a silicate crystal. Albite powder samples were heated at 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 v C for 40 minutes, and then submitted to n -irradiation. Results show that first TL peak (around 160 v C) decreases with annealing temperature, while higher temperature peaks strongly increase. EPR signal around g factor 2, attributed to Al-O m -Al centers, increase with annealing temperature too, as well as optical absorption bands that appear in the crystal after relatively strong n -dose irradiation (of some kGys).     

Protocol for TL dating with zircon: Computer simulation of temperature and dose rate effects

Natural zircon is irradiated internally by U and Th impurities. After exposure to ionizing irradiation zircon exhibits thermoluminescence (TL), which can be used to calculate the irradiation dose and the sample age. A kinetic model for TL of zircon developed earlier is used to model the processes relevant for dating. The response of zircon to irradiation at different dose rates is simulated for different temperatures. Several scenarios for the dating procedure are considered, including laboratory added irradiation, fading and preheat. It is shown that by irradiating the sample at elevated temperatures one can imitate natural irradiation, i.e. it is possible to reproduce the structural state of the trap system (distribution functions of filled electron and hole traps), which is responsible for the TL behavior. This implies that the dose dependence of the TL signal from samples, which had been irradiated under natural conditions, can be produced by irradiation at an elevated temperature.     

Monte Carlo simulations of TL and OSL in nanodosimetric materials and feldspars

The study of luminescent materials consisting of nanoclusters is an increasingly active research area. It has been shown that the physical properties of such nanodosimetric materials can be very different from those of similar conventional microcrystalline phosphors. In addition, it has been suggested that traditional energy band models may not be applicable for some of these nanodosimetric materials, because of the existence of strong spatial correlations between traps and recombination centers. The properties of such spatially correlated materials have been previously simulated by using Monte Carlo techniques and by considering the allowed transitions of charge carriers between the conduction band, electron traps and recombination centers. This previous research demonstrated successfully the effect of trap clustering on the kinetics of charge carriers in a solid, and showed that trap clustering can significantly change the observed luminescence properties. This paper presents a simplified method of carrying out Monte Carlo simulations for thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) phenomena, based on a recently published model for feldspar. This model is based on tunneling recombination processes involving localized near-neighbor transitions. The simulations show that the presence of small clusters consisting of a few traps can lead to multiple peaks in both the TL and linearly modulated OSL signals. The effects of donor charge density, initial trap filling and cluster size are simulated for such multi-peak luminescence signals, and insight is obtained into the mechanism producing these peaks.     

The role of simulations in the study of thermoluminescence (TL)

The traffic of charge carriers in a luminescent material during its excitation by irradiation and during readout either in the measurement of thermoluminescence (TL) or optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is governed by sets of coupled nonlinear differential equations. The analytical solution of these sets is usually not possible, and one can resort to one of two options. Some researchers preferred to make simplifying assumptions and thus got approximate solutions whereas others performed simulations by solving the simultaneous equations numerically. Each of these routes has its pitfalls. The simplifying assumptions, mainly the quasi-equilibrium assertion or the assumption that certain relations between the relevant parameters and functions hold, may be valid in certain ranges of the TL or OSL curve, and may cease to be valid, say at the high-temperature range in TL. Performing simulations using the numerical solution of the relevant set of equations may yield results which are accurate, but cannot be considered as being general because they depend on the specific choice of the parameters. Repeating the simulations with several sets of the physically plausible parameters would add credibility to the conclusions drawn. The combination of the two approaches is highly recommended, i.e, if similar results are found by approximations and simulations, the validity of the conclusions is strengthened. Evidently, the comparison of these theoretical results to experimental effects is essential. In the present work we consider the occurrence of unusually high and unusually low values of the activation energy and the effective frequency factor. In particular, we can simulate a recently discovered behavior of TL in LiF:Mg, Cu, P at the ultra-high dose range and get qualitatively the main elements of the experimentally found results.     

Thermoluminescent (TL) trap characteristics in irradiated oregano herb

The aim of this article is to investigate in a very simple way the trap characteristics of the irradiated oregano herb. The preparation of the polymineral dust obtained from the herb is described and then, through a fading experiment, the characteristics of the trapping levels responsible of the thermoluminescent emission are discussed.     

TL and PL studies on defect-assisted green luminescence from doped strontium sulfide phosphor

Defect-assisted luminescence of Pr³⁺-doped SrS has been investigated and reported in this paper. The polycrystalline sample of phosphor was prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method and checked for crystallization and phase by X-ray diffraction study. The thermally stimulated luminescence studies of the phosphor samples with various activator concentrations, irradiated by a blacklight source, are conducted and show a broad single peak around 365-382 K. Computerized glow curve deconvolution tool is used to evaluate the effective trapping parameters and suggests quasi-continuous distribution of traps in the range of 0.5−0.9 eV. A critical survey on the application of first-order kinetics in the present phosphor is undertaken. Photoluminescence studies reveal three excitation bands at 287, 314, 355 nm and defect-related emission at 517, 494 nm for two concentrations of activator atoms in the present phosphor. The 314-355 nm broad excitation bands correspond to a charge transfer transition of Pr³⁺-S²⁻.     

LiF:Mg,Ti (MTT) TL detectors optimised for high-LET radiation dosimetry

The properties of LiF:Mg,Ti (distributed as, e.g., TLD-100 or MTS-N), the most frequently used thermoluminescent detector, have been optimised for measurements of sparsely ionising radiation (gamma rays), typically encountered in radiation protection or clinical dosimetry. However, these detectors need also to be applied in conditions of mixed-field dosimetry with a high-LET component, such as those encountered in heavy ion beams or in space.

At the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kraków a new type of LiF:Mg,Ti detector (named MTT) has been recently developed through modification of its dopant composition. This composition is intended to increase the detection efficiency after a dose of high-LET radiation. The concentration of dopants in the MTT material is: C_Mg=50 ppm, and C_Ti=120 ppm, i.e. about a three times less of magnesium and about 10 times more of titanium content, compared with the standard MTS-N. The MTT TL detectors feature an increased relative efficiency to high-LET radiation, which for 5 MeV alpha-particles is about twice that of standard LiF:Mg,Ti. The response of MTT detectors has been studied in charged particle beams of the HIMAC accelerator in Chiba, Japan and in Dubna, Russia. The main foreseen application of MTT detectors are dose measurements in space. The dose after high-LET exposure can be estimated from the difference of the response of MTS and MTT detectors. In the near future MTT detectors will be applied in the “Matroshka” experiment. Within this experiment a specially constructed human phantom will be exposed in free space (outside the International Space Station) for 1 year. The phantom will incorporate a few thousand measuring points enabling radiation doses to particular organs to be determined.     

A critique of the unsaturable trap model of radiation damage in metals

The unsaturable trap model, which attributes the increase of the electrical resistivity of fcc metals during electron irradiation in the temperature regime of Stage-II recovery to the trapping of Stage-I_E interstitials at impurity atoms, is shown to be in serious disagreement with the experiments, contrary to opposite statements in the literature. As shown recently, the predictions of the unsaturable trap model are independent of the dimensionality of the diffusion of the Stage-I_E interstitials. Previous attempts to rule out a one-dimensional migration of the Stage-I_E interstitials (and hence the two-interstitial model) on the basis of the alleged agreement of the unsaturable trap model with Stage-II damage curves are thus meaningless. On the contrary, it is demonstrated that the two-interstitial model accounts for minute details of the measured Stage-II damage curves in a natural way.