Elementary results on the dosimetric properties of SrSO4:Eu2+ phosphor

A polycrystalline sample of SrSO4: Eu2+ phosphor has been successfully synthesized using the co-precipitation method and studied for its luminescence properties. The phosphor showed rather high optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity which was about 75% of that for the commercially available α-Al2O3: C phosphor (TLD-500). The continuous wave (CW)-OSL curve exhibited three components having photoionization cross-sections of 1.78۰10–17, 7.70۰10–17 and 17.69۰10–17 cm2 respectively. The thermal luminescence (TL) sensitivity was about 100 times higher than that for TLD-500. The kinetic parameters for TL curve such as activation energy and frequency factor were calculated using peak shape treatment. OSL components were determined from CW and linear modulated (LM)-OSL data. The minimum detectable dose was found to be 11.6 mGy with 3σ of background. Also reusability studies showed that it was possible to reuse the phosphor for 10 cycles without change in the OSL output. In the TL mode the dose-response was nearly linear in the range of measurement (20 – 400 mGy), and fading was 40% in 72 h. Photoluminescence spectra of SrSO4: Eu2+ exhibited emission in the near-UV region at 254, 315, and 323 nm when excited with an UV source.