Effects of non-ideal heat transfer on the glow curve in thermoluminescence experiments

A model for the heat transfer between a heating element and a thermoluminescent sample in the case of contact heating is used to estimate the temperature lag of the sample with respect to the heating element during linear heating. According to the model the temperature lag is linearly dependent on the heating rate beta and the temperature difference between the heating element T 1 and the surroundings T g . For a LiF:Mg, Ti(TLD-100) sample with dimensions 3.2*3.2*0.9 mm 3 the temperature lag Delta T during linear heating can be described by Delta T=1.7 beta +0.037 (T 1 -T g ). Compared to Delta T the temperature gradient across the TLD-100 sample can be neglected. The consequences of neglecting phenomena such as temperature lag and gradient, which always occur to some extent in TL measurements, on trapping parameters, (activation energy and frequency factor) derived by glow curve analysis are discussed.