Science for the health team Book

The use of luminescence phenomena for measurement and analytical purposes involves many different processes, materials, and techniques. The fundamental process of energy absorption, storage, and release can take a number of forms, many that are not fully understood and others that have yet to be developed. Radiophotoluminescence (RPL) is particularly suitable for the measurement of absorbed dose resulting from interactions with ionising radiations. The luminescence phenomena described in RPL Dosimetry: Radiophotoluminescence in Health Physics are those that are most likely to be of practical use. The book examines the phenomena of RPL (from within the context of solid-state "trap" physics) and proceeds to describe particular materials that exhibit the necessary fluorescence, their behavior and dosimetric properties, and the wide range of alternative measurement techniques that may be applied to them in a variety of monitoring environments. The emphasis is primarily on implementation in health physics as a personal and environmental monitor, and particular reference is made to the use of RPL as a research tool for radiotherapy treatment planning and in the context of civil defense. The author reviews the design, operation, and basic operational principles of some of the readers currently in service or being developed. The book also considers logistics of operating small and large monitoring services, and there is a useful comparison among glass, thermoluminescence, and film methods of dosimetry to enable potential users to evaluate the merits of each from a theoretical and practical viewpoint.