Optical and dosimetric properties of zircon

Irradiation effects were investigated in zircon crystals by methods of optical absorption and luminescence. Special attention was given to the effects of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation. The same main thermoluminescence (TL) peaks with the same thermal activation energies appeared after VUV as after X- or beta irradiation, indicating that the same traps were induced by the different irradiations. TL excitation spectra in the VUV showed an increase <220 nm and maxima near 190 and 140 nm. Excitation spectra of phototransferred TL (PTTL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) were also measured. Most TL emission bands also appeared in the X-luminescence, PTTL and OSL. Dosimetric properties such as the TL radiation sensitivity, thermal stability of radiation-induced defects and TL dose dependence were also investigated. The radiation sensitivity of zircon was by an order of magnitude lower than that of TLD-100. The 355 K TL peak showed linear dose dependence only up to approximately 500 Gy and the 520 K peak up to approximately 1800 Gy.