LEVEL 3 LABORATORY

High Energy Physics

Emergency Dosimetry – Optically Stimulated Luminescence

Objectives of the Project

• Investigate the potential of various commonplace materials to be used as emergency dosimeters.

• Investigate the effect irradiation upon optically stimulated luminescence from the materials.

Apparatus

• Commercial dosimeters, scintillating materials such as alumina.
• Photomultiplier Tube.
• Blue LED light source.
• Radiation sources e.g. x-ray generator, beta source.

Experimental Procedure

1. Test the system by measuring radioluminescence from conventional scintillators.
2. Check for linearity of detected light emission as a function of radiation dose.
3. Investigate the properties of TLD commercial dosimeters.
4. Investigate the effect of using different types of ionising radiation.
5. Investigate the potential dosimetic properties of commonplace materials such as alumina that is found in surface mount resistors and capacitors.

Safety and Precautions

All irradiations must be done in a shielded environment following procedures described in the safety documentation.

References

• Attix, F.H.: Introduction to Radiological Physics and Radiation Dosimetry
• Leo, W.R.: Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments
• Yukihara, E.G. and McKeever, S.W.S.: Optically Stimulated Luminescence: Fundamentals and Applications
• Useful statistics

External links

• NIST Physics Laboratory Holdings by Element Useful listing of spectral and nuclear data organised in a periodic table.
• Table of nuclides. From the Nuclear Data Evaluation Lab. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute