The energy dependence of CaF2:Mn/Teflon thermoluminescent dosimeters

Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) which consist of Teflon disks, 0.635 cm in diameter by 0.038 cm thick, containing 5% CaF₂:Mn in the form of 20-μm grains distributed throughout the volume, are convenient, disposable, single-reading dosimeters which are frequently used in radiation hardness testing. Their photon energy response differs markedly from that of solid CaF₂:Mn TLDs for photon energies below approximately 500 keV. An accurate model of the energy response is required for the application of such dosimeters to testing at moderate energy flash X-ray machines (E_e≈1.0-1.5 MeV). The energy response of these dosimeters was measured using heavily filtered X-rays from a 300-keV constant potential X-ray generator and calculated for photon energies from 10 to 500 keV using the transport code ACCEPT. The results indicate good agreement between measurements and calculations