Fazo: a thermoluminescence glow curve analysis program by the deconvolution method

FAZO is a computer program of thermoluminescence glow curve deconvolution based on the modified Fletcher's minimization algorithm of Levenberg-Marquardt. The FAZO program which has been elaborated and tested in the external dosimetry laboratory of the Radiation Protection and Safety Center (CRS, Algiers, Algeria) is now used for the dosimetric survey of the personnel and the gamma outdoor by means of thermoluminescent detectors. In this work, the presented performances of FAZO have been validated using simulated thermoluminescence glow curves obtained by the kinetic equation of Randall and Wilkins, and by a confrontation with the results of other programs elaborated by laboratories which have participated to a thermoluminescence glow curve analysis computer programs intercomparison. Deconvolution examples of experimental glow curves of LiF:Mg, Ti (TLD 100 and TLD 700) detector irradiated at 10 mGy and 20 Gy and CaF2:Dy (TLD 200) detector exposed to 10 mGy, are also presented in this paper. Finally, the obtained results concerning the kinetic parameters evaluation by FAZO, the activation energy E and the frequency factor s, for LiF:Mg, Ti material are found to be in good agreement with most values published on this subject. (author)