KINETIC SIMULATIONS OF THERMOLUMINESCENCE DOSE RESPONSE: LONG OVERDUE CONFRONTATION WITH THE EFFECTS OF IONISATION DENSITY

Abstract

The reader will time-travel through almost seven decades of kinetic models and mathematical simulations of thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics based on the band-gap theory of the solid state. From post-World-War II, ideas concerning electron trapping mechanisms to the highly idealised one trap-one recombination (OTOR) model first elaborated in 1956 but still in 'high gear' today. The review caresses but purposely avoids in-depth discussion of the endless stream of papers discussing the intricacies of glow peak shapes arising from first-order, second-order, mixed-order and general-order kinetics predominantly based on non-interacting systems, and then on to the more physically realistic scenarios that have attempted to analyse complex systems involving ever greater numbers of interacting trapping centres, luminescent centres and non-luminescent centres. The review emphasises the difficulty the band-gap models have in the simulation of dose response linear/supralinear behaviour and especially the dependence of the supralinearity on ionisation density. The significance of the non-observation of filling-rate supralinearity in the absorption stage is emphasised since it removes from consideration the possibility of TL supralinearity arising from irradiation stage supralinearity. The importance of the simultaneous action of both localised and delocalised transitions has gradually penetrated the mindset of the community of kinetic researchers, but most simulations have concentrated on the shape of glow peaks and the extraction of the glow peak parameters, E (the thermal activation energy) and s (the attempt-to-escape frequency). The simulation of linear/supralinear dose response and its dependence on ionisation density have been largely avoided until recently due to the fundamental schism between the effects of ionisation density and some basic assumptions of the band-gap model. The review finishes with an in-depth presentation and discussion of the most recent nanoscopic-localised/delocalised kinetic model that promotes an ice-breaking solution to bridge the schism.