A study of the alanine dosimeter irradiation temperature coefficient from 25 to 80°C

The response of high-dose-range chemical dosimeters is dependent on the dosimeter temperature during irradiation. Typically, irradiation temperatures are estimated by measurements, calculations, or some combination of the two. Then using the temperature coefficient for the dosimetry system, the dosimeter response is adjusted or corrected to be consistent with the irradiation temperature for the calibration curve. Consequently, the estimation of irradiation temperature and the response correction via the temperature coefficient are sources of uncertainty in industrial dosimetry. To date, studies of dosimetry system performance at high temperatures have been limited. The maximum irradiation temperature for temperature coefficient studies of commercial alanine dosimeter formulations has not exceeded 50 1C. However, high-energy electron-beam processing can expose dosimeters to temperatures as high as 70 1C. This study aims to examine the temperature coefficient above 50 1C and assess the accuracy of the dosimeter response corrections. The findings reveal small but significant deviations from linearity above 70 1C. The magnitude of this deviation and its implications to dosimetry measurements will be discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.