Radiophotoluminescence dosimetry using a small spherical glass: a preliminary phantom study.

A radiophotoluminescence dosimetry has been proposed using a spherical silver-activated phosphate glass with a diameter of 1.5 mm. A 6 MV photon dose of 2 Sv (2 Gy) was delivered to 14 spherical glass samples placed between two solid water phantoms at a depth of 10 cm. The samples were positioned within a 20 x 20 mm(2) centred at beam axis to ensure uniform dose absorption. A normalised output from a read-out system was obtained by simultaneously measuring luminescence from a non-irradiated reference and that from an irradiated reference to eliminate background contamination and time-varying fluctuation of the readout system, leading to a normalised standard deviation of 1.8%. A dose up to 3.5 Sv (3.5 Gy) was delivered to three spherical glass samples positioned between two solid water phantoms at a depth of 10 cm. The normalised output increased linearly with the applied dose.

Changes in optical transmission caused by gamma ray induced coloring in photoluminescence dosimeter.

Transmission of visible light and ultraviolet radiation was examined for a phosphate-glass photoluminescence dosimeter irradiated with Co source gamma rays in the dose range of 1-60 Gy (H2O). The transmission for the wavelengths (lambda) less than 600 nm decreased with increasing irradiation dose beginning at 6 Gy. An approximate 20% reduction of transmission was observed for a 60 Gy exposure at the wavelength of ultraviolet radiation used for excitation (lambda = 337 nm). However, no change of transmission was seen in longer wavelength region (lambda > 600 nm), which includes the range of photoluminescence (lambda = 610-710 nm). Relative efficiencies of measured photoluminescence agreed well with estimations that were calculated from the transmission reduction of ultraviolet radiation. This fact indicates that reduction of photoluminescence efficiency induced by high-dose gamma rays is attributable mostly to attenuation of the ultraviolet radiation from an excitation source, rather than saturation of trapping or recombination centers.

[A comparison of the helmet output factors for five Gamma-Knife units.].

A radiophotoluminescent (RPL) glass rod dosimeter (GRD) and a small active volume p-type silicon diode detector are used for the measurement of the helmet output factors from five Gamma-Knife units, which include four Model B units and a Model C unit. The output factors for the five units measured with the GRD from 14, 8 and 4 mm helmets relative to the 18 mm helmet are 0.984 +/- 0.003, 0.951 +/- 0.003 and 0.884 +/- 0.006, respectively. Similarly, the corresponding output factors measured with the p-type silicon diode detector are 0.983 +/- 0.002, 0.952 +/- 0.003 and 0.867 +/- 0.015, respectively. The output factors are corrected with the end effect for each helmet of the five units. The end effect time for the four Model B units ranges from 4 sec for the 18 mm helmet to 2 sec for the 4 mm helmet. The results for the Model C unit are within 1 sec for all the helmets. The output factors for the five units obtained from both detectors are in good agreement with the values in a recent publication and the values recommended by Elekta, the device manufacturer, except for that of the 4 mm helmet measured with the GRD. The average GRD output factor for the 4 mm helmet is 1.6% higher than Elekta's value, 0.870, but is in good agreement with the published value which was measured using small active volume detectors. The helmet output factors for the five Gamma-Knife units measured with the GRD agree within measurement deviation.

Measurements of Gamma-Knife helmet output factors using a radiophotoluminescent glass rod dosimeter and a diode detector.

A radiophotoluminescent (RPL) glass rod dosimeter (GRD) and a small active volume p-type silicon diode detector are used for the measurement of the output factors from Gamma-Knife fields. The GRD system consists of small rod-shaped glass chip detectors and an automatic readout device. The output factors measured with the GRD from the 14, 8 and 4 mm helmets relative to the 18 mm helmet are 0.981, 0.942 and 0.877, respectively. Similarly, the corresponding output factors measured with the p-type silicon diode detector are 0.980, 0.949 and 0.867, respectively. The output factors are corrected for the end effect for each helmet. The output factors obtained from both detectors are in good agreement with the values in a recent publication and the values recommended by Elekta, the manufacturer. The directional dependence of these detectors is also measured. For the Gamma-Knife angle ranging from 6 to 36 degrees in the y-z plane of the stereotactic space, the measured angular dependence of the GRD is approximately 1.0% at a 4 MV x-ray beam. The response of the silicon diode detector indicates approximately 3-4% directional dependence for the same angular range for a 6 MV x-ray beam. The Gamma-Knife helmet output factors measured with the silicon diode detector are corrected for angular dependence.

Time resolved photoluminescence from a phosphate glass (GD-300) irradiated with heavy ions and gamma rays.

The time-resolved photoluminescence from a phosphate-glass photoluminescence dosimeter (GD-300) was compared for different quality radiations: relativistic heavy ions (12C and 40Ar) and 60Co gamma rays. The intensities of photoluminescence afterglow at 2-7 micro(s) after pulsed UV excitation, i.e., in the time range used for conventional dosimetry, soon reached stable conditions for all radiations. Whereas the early photoluminescence emission at the range less than 0.4 micro(s) was notably unstable for gamma rays only; it continued decreasing even at 2 d after irradiation. In contrast, the photoluminescence afterglows for the heavy ions were stable over the whole range after excitation. These results indicate that the process of photoluminescence-center formation is different for heavy ions and gamma rays.

A simplified system for reading time-resolved photoluminescence.

A simplified system for measuring time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) induced by UV laser pulses (lambda = 337 nm) is designed by a combination of a commercial PL reader and a digital oscilloscope. Using this system, PL emissions after pulsed UV excitation from a chip of sapphire (Al2O3) are successfully measured with intervals of 10 ns. It is thus expected that this system will be conveniently used for searching new PL materials that would be more suitable for space radiation dosimetry.