DEVELOPMENT OF NACL-BASED OPTICALLY STIMULATED LUMINESCENT PHOSPHORS FOR THE POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS IN DOSIMETRY

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid State Physics
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is a sensitive method for detecting ionizing radiation.
• Development of novel phosphors with enhanced OSL sensitivity is crucial for improving radiation dosimetry.
• Sodium chloride (NaCl) based materials offer potential as OSL dosimeters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize new highly sensitive OSL phosphors based on NaCl.
• To investigate the dosimetric properties, including sensitivity and dose response, of the developed phosphors.
• To evaluate the fading characteristics of the phosphors for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of NaCl-based phosphors doped with Ca,Cu,P and Mg,Cu,P.
• Measurement of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity.
• Determination of dose response curves.
• Analysis of signal fading over time.

Main Results:

• Newly developed NaCl:Ca,Cu,P and NaCl:Mg,Cu,P phosphors demonstrate very high OSL sensitivity.
• Linear dose response observed for NaCl:Ca,Cu,P up to 1.2 Gy; slightly sub-linear for NaCl:Mg,Cu,P from 0.2 Gy.
• Phosphors exhibit 30% signal fading within the first 4 days, followed by signal stabilization.

Conclusions:

• The developed NaCl-based phosphors exhibit excellent OSL sensitivity and promising dosimetric characteristics.
• These materials are suitable for applications in radiation dosimetry, particularly where high sensitivity is required.
• Further research may optimize fading properties for enhanced long-term stability.