A study of the composite character of the ESR spectrum of alanine

Both L and DL-alanine ESR powder spectra have been studied in the dose range of 1–106 Gy. By using Maximum Likelihood Common Factor Analysis (MLCFA), it has been demonstrated that the ESR spectrum of L-alanine is at least 3-fold composite over the whole dose range considered. For DL-alanine, in certain dose ranges only two ESR components could be detected. Possible consequences for the application and optimization of alanine dosimetry are discussed.