Effect of gamma irradiation on the light polarization variation of PMMA polymer

Analyzing the effect of ionized gamma irradiation on the optical parameters of materials is a solution for finding newer techniques in the field of detector and dosimeter systems. A PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) polymer was radiated from a ⁶⁰Co source with a power of 1800 C and a constant dose rate of 1.44 kGy/h in three steps of 5, 25 and 61.2 kGy. The ionized gamma irradiation affected the refractive index of polymer and therefore it changes the polarization of the incident light. The difference in the polarization phase shift of the polymer depended on the dose it had been irradiated with.