Thermoluminescence digital color images and their evaluation using a Java-based application

Abstract

Luminescence dating involves the observation of naturally accumulated radiation damage, caused by radioisotopes such as U and Th, in the form of the glow stimulated by heating or exposure to light.The emission color of luminescence varies among samples. A thermoluminescence color image (TLCI) can be recorded using a digital camera after irradiation with gamma rays, which results in significant radiation damage, thereby enhancing the luminescence. A new application was developed to handle RGB (red-green-blue) information for each pixel. The application enables the automatic plotting of pixel data on a CIE (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairoge) chromaticity diagram and counting of the number of pixels within a color zone, as defined by dividing the color space into five color zones. The application helps to handle many digital TLCIs in a short time and is useful for statistical color analyses.