Dependence of thermoluminescent detectors relative response on the linear energy transfer;: some examples of use

The relative response (RR) of the most thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) decreases with increasing linear energy transfer (LET) of particles depositing energy in a TLD. Three TLDs have been mostly studied: Al-P glasses, Al2O3: C, and CaSO4: Dy. They have been exposed, since several years, to high energy charged particles with energies up to 1 GeV/amu, and LET up to 600 keV/pm in water. The RR of TLDs as a function of LET is presented. In two cases, the sets of obtained data permitted us to regress them and obtain general LET dependences of RRs for Al-P glasses and Al2O3: C and for their ratios. These functions, in combination with LET spectra established by means of track etch based LET spectrometer were also used to appreciate their ability to establish total dosinietric characteristics in sorne high-energy radiation bearns and fields, also those usable for hadron therapy. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.