A theoretical description of complex thermoluminescence curves: 2

Thermoluminescence kinetics is discussed using a model with one type of recombination centre and an arbitrary number of trapping centre types, assuming that electron retrapping is dominant. A distinctive feature of the suggested method is that an integral equation is obtained for the one-time function z(t) through which both the intensity of the thermoluminescence curve (TLC) and the concentration of charge carriers are expressed. Using a series of approximations, which are analysed in detail, analytical solutions of the integral equation are obtained for an arbitrary elementary peak in a complex TLC consisting of a number of slightly overlapping peaks. The comparison of the theoretical results with the numerical ones obtained by the Runge-Kutta method shows that the obtained analytical expression is precise for the first peak and describes the following TLC peaks satisfactorily. The possibility of using the results of the present study for computer division of a complex TLC into elementary components, even in the case of considerably overlapping peaks, is also discussed. (author)