CONTRIBUTION OF ESR DOSIMETRY FOR IRRADIATION OF GEOLOGICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SAMPLES WITH A CO-60 PANORAMIC SOURCE

A very precise dosimetry of a field of artificial irradiation is essen tial to estimate an accurate ESR Equivalent Dose (ED) in archaeology a nd geology. Archaeological powder samples and one sample of DL-alanine powder as control were prepared by IPH. Some alanine dosimeters of LM RI, constituted of L-alanine pellets, were joined to the IPH samples a nd together, irradiated in boxes using panoramic Co-60 source under di fferent experimental conditions. The LMRI had in charge the control of the process of irradiation and the measurement of each absorbed dose and dose rate delivered to the different series of boxes. This study c onsists in the evaluation of the distribution of dose on the samples. The ESR measurements made by the two laboratories were analysed and th en compared. These experiments showed a significant gradient in the ab sorbed dose delivered to each LMRI dosimeter. The dispersion in each b ox was easily observable. However, a good agreement between the dosime ters and the alanine powder was observed in a same box. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd