FLUORESCENCE RESPONSE OF BARITE TO GAMMA-RADIATION

Detailed studies on the characteristic behaviour of gamma radiation in duced luminescence emission for different natural barite samples colle cted from the Egyptian deserts, noted as ''black'', ''yellowish'' and ''colourless'' barites; and laboratory prepared synthetic ones of equi valent compositions have been given. The results showed an equivalent luminescence characteristic behaviour for both natural and synthetic o nes. The optimum condition of the excitation energy necessary to induc e the luminescence emission of the colour center depends on the type o f the dopant activators in the basic matrix of barite (BaSO4). The int ensity of the excitation energy varies linearly with the samples gamma absorbed dose over the range 10(0)-10(4) Gy. The sensitivity of the g amma radiation induced luminescence presents a linear relation with th e samples gamma absorbed dose over the range 10(0)-10(5) Gy for both n atural ''n'' and synthetic ''s'' barites. More detailed studies concer ning the relation between the excitation and radio-photoluminescence ' 'luminescence emission'' of barite with the configuration forms of the electronic charge (+ve and -ve ions) imperfections induced by the eff ect of the doped activators in the BaSO4 network are discussed.