TLD efficiency of (LiF)-Li-7 for doses deposited by high-LET particles

The efficiency of (LiF)-Li-7 TLDs (TLD-700) in registering dose from high-L ET (greater than or equal to 10 keV/mu m) charged particles (relative to Cs -137 gamma rays) has been measured for a number of accelerated heavy ions a t various particle accelerator facilities. These measured efficiency values have been compared with similar results obtained from the open literature and a dose efficiency function has been fitted to the combined data set. Wh ile it was found that the dose efficiency is not only a function of LET, bu t also of the charge of the incident particle, the fitted function can be u sed to correct the undermeasured value of dose from exposures made in mixed radiation fields where LET information is available. This LET-dependent do se efficiency function is used in our laboratory in determining total absor bed dose and dose equivalent from combined TLD and CR-39 plastic nuclear tr ack detector measurements. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.