Thermoluminescence in annealed and unannealed LiF:Mg, Ti(TLD-100 Harshaw) as a function of glow curve heating rate and using computerised glow curve deconvolution

The authors have studied the phenomenon of changes in glow peak sensitivity in LiF:Mg, Ti(TLD-100, Harshaw) by monitoring changes in the intensity of peaks 4 and 5 following 100 degrees C for 30 min post-irradiation and pre-irradiation annealing. In an attempt to aid the dosimetric application of this material they have investigated these changes in sensitivity in both 400 degrees C annealed and unannealed materials and as a function of glow curve heating rate from 100 degrees min -1 to 1000 degrees min -1 . Computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) is used to resolve peaks 4 and 5 and thus monitor the behaviour of peaks 4 and 5 separately. In a previous publication they found that it was only peak 4 which seemed to show a propensity to possible clustering and consequent increases in sensitivity following room-temperature storage. In the work reported here they also find that peak 4 exhibits significantly anomalous behaviour (changes in sensitivity following 100 degrees C for 30 min annealing, differences in these changes in sensitivity between 400 degrees C annealed and unannealed material and a tendency to shift in temperature following annealing). At high heating rates above 500 degrees min -1 peaks 4 and 5 merge and become increasingly difficult to resolve, so that changes in sensitivity of peak 4 can be easily misinterpreted and assigned to peak 5.