Theory of thermoluminescence gamma dose response: The unified interaction model

We describe the development of a comprehensive theory of thermoluminescence (TL) dose response, the unified interaction model (UNIM). The UNIM is based on both radiation absorption stage and recombination stage mechanisms and can describe dose response for heavy charged particles (in the framework of the extended track interaction model - ETIM) as well as for isotropically ionising gamma rays and electrons (in the framework of the TC/LC geminate recombination model) in a unified and self-consistent conceptual and mathematical formalism. A theory of optical absorption dose response is also incorporated in the UNIM to describe the radiation absorption stage. The UNIM is applied to the dose response supralinearity characteristics of LiF:Mg,Ti and is especially and uniquely successful in explaining the ionisation density dependence of the supralinearity of composite peak 5 in TLD-100. The UNIM is demonstrated to be capable of explaining either qualitatively or quantitatively all of the major features of TL dose response with many of the variable parameters of the model strongly constrained by ancilliary optical absorption and sensitisation measurements. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.