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thermoluminescent

Thermoluminescence is a form of luminescence in which a material emits light when heated after having been exposed to radiation. Materials that exhibit this behavior are described as thermoluminescent. In crystalline solids, exposure to ionizing radiation creates trapped charge carriers at defects in the lattice. When the material is subsequently heated, these trapped electrons gain enough energy to escape and recombine at luminescent centers, releasing photons typically in the visible or near-UV range.

The intensity of the emitted light, and the resulting glow curve as a function of temperature, depend

Applications include thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD), where the light output is used to measure ionizing radiation doses

Some practical considerations include fading of the signal over time, the need for annealing to erase previous

on
the
dose
of
radiation
received
and
the
nature
of
the
material
and
its
dopants.
Common
thermoluminescent
materials
include
lithium
fluoride
doped
with
magnesium
and
titanium
(LiF:Mg,Ti,
used
in
TLD-100),
lithium
fluoride
doped
with
other
elements,
calcium
fluoride,
lithium
borate,
and
feldspar
minerals
such
as
natural
quartz
and
feldspar
used
in
dating.
for
medical,
occupational,
and
environmental
monitoring;
thermoluminescence
dating,
used
to
determine
the
time
since
mineral
grains
or
pottery
were
last
heated
or
exposed
to
sunlight.
Readout
is
achieved
by
controlled
heating
in
a
calibrated
reader
with
a
light
detector,
and
the
resulting
glow
curve
is
analyzed
to
determine
the
absorbed
dose.
records
before
reuse,
and
material-to-material
variations
in
sensitivity.