A History of Radiation Detection Instrumentation

Abstract

A review is presented of the history of radiation detection instrumentation. Specific radiation detection systems that are discussed include the human senses, photography, calorimetry, color dosimetry, ion chambers, electrometers, electroscopes, proportional counters, Geiger Mueller counters, scalers and rate meters, barium platinocyanide, scintillation counters, semiconductor detectors, radiophotoluminescent dosimeters, thermoluminescent dosimeters, optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters, direct ion storage, electrets, cloud chambers, bubble chambers, and bubble dosimeters. Given the broad scope of this review, the coverage is limited to a few key events in the development of a given detection system and some relevant operating principles. The occasional anecdote is included for interest.

Review of doped silica glass optical fibre: Their TL properties and potential applications in radiation therapy dosimetry

“…The foundations of TL theory appear to be due to Randall and Wilkins (1945) and by Garlick and Gibson (1948) (McKeever, 1988, Frame, 2004, providing expressions for the shape of a glow peak in terms of temperature, heating-rate, and the characteristic of the trap. TL materials, apparatus, mechanisms, and a wide range of potential applications, including dosimetry, identification of minerals, studies of catalysis and radiation damage, TL stratigraphy and age determination of rocks and pottery has been discussed by Daniels in 1953(McKeever, 1988.…”

A review of TLD's zero-count based on temperature and radiation history of them

“…In order to stabilize the trap structure, annealing processes based on temperature and time pattern are used to produce the lowest intrinsic background and to obtain the highest efficiency. Before using a new thermoluminescent (TL) crystal material for dosimetric proposes, it is needed to perform a thermal treatment process, this thermal treatment consist in many steps as initialization treatment, annealing treatment and post-irradiation treatment [5,[8][9][10]. This thermal treatment is used for new thermoluminescent materials which have not been used.…”

The Detection and Measurement of Ionizing Radiation

“…Since that time, many high-quality textbooks have been written on the subject [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. We will not attempt to recreate those works here but rather to convey a working familiarity with the concepts behind how these detectors work and are used in everyday measurements.…”