Comparing the effect of electron beam, beta and ultraviolet C exposure on the luminescence emission of commercial dosimeters

Abstract

This paper reports on the luminescence characterization of TLD-100 (LiF: Ti, Mg), TLD-200 (CaF2: Dy), TLD-400 (CaF2: Mn) and GR-200 (LiF: Mg, Cu, P) dosimeters exposed to electro beam, beta and ultraviolet C radiation -UVC-. All of them show high sensitivity to radiation regardless of whether it is ionizing or partially ionizing radiation based on their luminescence properties (cathodoluminescence -CL- or thermoluminescence -TL-). CL emission differs significantly among them in shape and intensity due to their chemical compositions. LiF samples display three maxima at: (i) 300–450 nm linked to intrinsic and structural defects, (ii) a green waveband probably due to F3+ centres or the presence of hydroxyl groups and (iii) the red-infrared emission band associated with F2 centres. However, CL spectra from the CaF2 dosimeters display meaningful differences due to the dopant. TLD-200 is characterized by an emission with four sharp individual peaks in the green-IR spectral region (due to the Dy3+), whilst TLD-400 exhibits a broad maximum peaked at ̴500 nm (linked to the Mn2+). On the other hand, the variation in the TL glow curves allows to discriminate the TLDs exposed to beta and UVC radiation since they give rise to different chemical-physical processes and that have been studied from the estimation of the kinetic parameters by means of the Computerised Glow Curve Deconvolution (CGCD) method.