Comparison of commercial thermoluminescent readers regarding high-dose high-temperature measurements

Abstract

Three different thermoluminescent measuring systems have been compared with respect to the differences in temperature profiles, spectral sensitivities, as well as linearity of dose response characteristics. The comparison was performed using the Harshaw 3500, Riso DA-20 and RA94 TLD readers. The instruments were tested for the readouts of highly irradiated LiF:Mg,Cu,P (MCP) TL detectors, which require readout up to 550 C, in case of doses exceeding 1 kGy. It was found that the Harshaw 3500 can be used, without any additional light attenuation, for the measurements of MCP detectors exposed to doses up to about 5 Gy. For the other two readers the upper dose limit is about 5 times lower. It was also found that the Harshaw 3500 shows the best thermal stability considering the peak maximum position. For the ultra-high doses the differences in the spectral characteristics of the applied optical filters and photomultipliers, in conjunction with an evolution of the MCP TL emission spectrum with increasing dose, significantly influence the shape of TL glow curves measured with the Riso reader. The detailed characteristic of the compared TLD readers, at high-dose high-temperature range is discussed.