Instrumentation for X- and gamma-ray spectrometry

Summary

Commercial SiO₂ optical fiber has been found to be a thermoluminescent (TL) material in investigations to develop new radiation detection materials within the Dosimetry Applications project at the Instituto de Fisica, UNAM. This paper presents preliminary results of a study of the TL response to gamma-radiation. The material shows a glow curve between 30 and 390 °C, with one glow peak at 230 °C. The intensity of the peak has a linear response to the quantity of ⁶⁰Co gamma-radiation over the mGy (mrads) to kGy (Mrads) range. The SiO₂ optical fiber exhibits a high reproducibility and low fading in the TL signal. The material can be re-used after thermal treatment. These characteristics make commercial optical fiber a possible TL dosimeter material. They could be used at the micro-size level (150 µm diameter) and have a high potential for use in several applications in the fields of medicine, industry and research.