Thermoluminescence emission from quartz at 480 nm as a high-dose radiation marker

• Published in: Radiation measurements Vol. 120; pp. 143 - 147
• Main Authors: Hunter, P.G., Spooner, N.A., Smith, B.W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.12.2018
• Subjects: High dose TL; Quartz TL; Quartz TL sensitisation; Retrospective dosimetry; Retrospective dosimetry; High dose TL; Quartz TL sensitisation; Quartz TL
• ISSN: 1350-4487; 1879-0925
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2018.04.001

In this study we investigate the creation of high dose markers in the TL of quartz when irradiated with doses up to and exceeding 8 kGy, with a view to using the characteristics as a potential tool for retrospective dosimetry. Supralinear growth of the 210 °C and 350 °C 480 nm TL peaks was confirmed at high doses, as observed by others. Both peaks decrease abruptly at doses over 16 kGy, which we tentatively attribute to depletion of the 480 nm luminescence centres. Test doses applied after measurement of the high-dose TL showed that the 350 °C TL peak retained the sensitisation to dose, whereas the 210 °C TL peak did not. The 350 °C TL peak retains a significant marker of prior radiation exposure even after a 1-h annealing at 400 °C. Kinetic analysis on a quartz sample has shown that at high doses the 210 °C and 350 °C TL peaks have fundamentally the same E and s values as found for low-dose samples. The 12 ka lifetime of the 210 °C peak makes it suitable for retrospective dosimetry. •The 210 °C quartz 480 nm TL peak is suitable for retrospective dosimetry.•The 210 °C and 350 °C 480 nm TL emission from quartz sensitises for doses greater than 300 Gy.•The E and s kinetic parameters of the sensitised TL are broadly consistent with the parameters for unsensitised quartz TL.•Desensitisation of the 210 °C, 350 °C TL peaks at doses exceeding 16 kGy suggests depletion of 480 nm recombination centres.