Thermoluminescence emission spectrometer

Abstract

A sensitive thermoluminescence (TL) emission spectrometer based on Fourier transform spectroscopy is described. It employs a modified scanning Twyman-Green interferometer with photomultiplier detection in a photon-counting mode. The etendue is 180π mm2, and it covers the 350–600-nm wavelength range. The output can be displayed either as a 3-D isometric plot of intensity vs temperature and wavelength, as a contour diagram, or as a conventional TL glow curve of intensity vs temperature. It is sufficiently sensitive to record thermoluminescence spectra of dosimeter phosphors and minerals for thermoluminescence dating at levels corresponding to those found during actual use as radiation monitors or in dating. Examples of actual spectra are given.