Thermoluminescence induced by heavy charged particles

Thermoluminescent materials display complex features when exposed to heavy charged particles: the TL response shows a linear-supralinear saturation dependence on the fluence and the efficiency is a strong function of the particle's velocity. Results are presented from measurements performed with low energy ions incident on TLD-100. The measured supralinearity can be reproduced by a Monte Carlo track interaction model which incorporates saturation effects; however, the model parameters which describe the ion's radii do not display the expected dependence on incident energy. The efficiency data support the choice of reference radiation having a secondary electron spectrum 'matched' to that of the heavy charged particles. The systematics of the measured glow curve shapes and maximum supralinearity unifies results from light ions and photons based on characteristics of the secondary electron spectra.