γ-ray dosimetry using pararosaniline cyanide in dimethyl sulfoxide solutions

A chemical radiochromic dosimeter using pararosaniline cyanide in dimethyl sulfoxide can be used over a wide absorbed dose range. Experiments show that the dosimeter has a main optical absorption maximum at 554nm, which is 5nm higher than that of other polar solvents. Millimolar solutions of leucodye containing small amounts of carboxylic acid or nitrobenzene show a linear response for absorbed doses up to 11.75kGy. The yield of dye is linear with concentration up to 5mM. At that concentration the upper limit of linear response range can be extended to about 40kGy. The lower dose limit for 50mM concentration of the dye precursor hexahydroxyethyl pararosaniline (lambdasub(max)=608nm) is about 3Gy, with +-5%SD at a 95% confidence level, when using a 5cm pathlength cell. Dye formation yield varies not only with concentration of the leucocyanide, but also with type of oxidizing agent and temperature during irradiation. The latter parameter is especially critical, as dimethyl sulfoxide freezes at 170C. The effect of storage temperature on the color produced after irradiation at different dose levels was also studied. (author)