title: Development of confocal laser microscope system for examination of microscopic characteristics of radiophotoluminescence glass dosemeters.
abstract: A confocal laser microscope system was developed for the measurement of radiophotoluminescence (RPL) photons emitted from a minute alpha-ray-irradiated area in an RPL glass dosemeter. The system was composed mainly of an inverted-type microscope, an ultraviolet laser, an XY movable stage and photon-counting circuits. The photon-counting circuits were effective in the reduction of the background noise level in the measurement of RPL photons. The performance of this microscope system was examined by the observation of standard RPL glass samples irradiated using (241)Am alpha rays. The spatial resolution of this system was ∼ 3 μm, and with regard to the sensitivity of this system, a hit of more than four to five alpha rays in unit area produced enough amount of RPL photons to construct the image.
authors.affiliation: Division of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. maki-d@c-technol.co.jp
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Fuminobu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000512:Alpha Particles; D000576:Americium / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004867:Equipment Design; D005898:Glass; D007834:Lasers; D008422:Materials Testing; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D017785:Photons; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D000576:Americium