60Co Γ-rays Research Articles

Dose-effect relationships of 12C6+ ions-induced dicentric plus ring chromosomes, micronucleus and nucleoplasmic bridges in human lymphocytes in vitro

Purpose The objective of this research was to explore the dose-effect relationships of dicentric plus ring (dic + r), micronucleus (MN) and nucleoplasmic bridges (NPB) induced by carbon ions in human lymphocytes. Materials and methods Venous blood samples were collected from three healthy donors. 12C6+ ions beam was used to irradiate the blood samples at the energy of 330 MeV and linear energy transfer (LET) of 50 keV/μm with a dose rate of 1 Gy/min in the spread-out Bragg peak. The irradiated doses were 0 (sham irradiation), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Gy. Dic + r chromosomes aberrations were scored in metaphases. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN) was conducted to analyze MN and NPB. The maximum low-dose relative biological effectiveness (RBEM) values of the induction of dic + r, MN and NPB in human lymphocytes for 12C6+ ions irradiation was calculated relative to 60Co γ-rays. Results The frequencies of dic + r, MN and NPB showed significantly increases in a dose-depended manner after exposure to 12C6+ ions. The distributions of dic + r and MN exhibited overdispersion, while the distribution of NPB agreed with Poisson distribution at all doses. Linear-quadratic equations were established based on the frequencies of dic + r and MN. The dose-response curves of NPB frequencies followed a linear model. The derived RBEM values for dic + r, MN and NPB in human lymphocytes irradiated with 12C6+ ions were 8.07 ± 2.73, 2.69 ± 0.20 and 4.00 ± 2.69 in comparison with 60Co γ-rays. Conclusion The dose-response curves of carbon ions-induced dic + r, MN and NPB were constructed. These results could be helpful to improve radiation risk assessment and dose estimation after exposed to carbon ions irradiation.

Total ionizing dose effects of 60Co-γ ray radiation on the resistive switching and its bending performance of Al-in-O/InOx-based flexible RRAM device

Flexible resistive switching random access memory (RRAM) device is one of the promising candidates for non-volatile memory used in space because of its features such as simple structure, high speed, low power consumption, durability and lightweight with reduction in thickness. Al-In-O/InOx self-mixing layer can be applied for flexible RRAM due to its low annealing temperature (i.e. temperatures<180 °C), forming-free resistive switching characteristics and low SET and RESET voltage. Herein, effects of the total ionizing dose of 60Co-γ ray radiation on the resistive switching, the bending performance of the prepared flexible RRAM devices based on the Al-In-O/InOx films were studied. The results indicated that the resistance decreases with the bias in high resistance state (HRS) and the SET voltages of the device decrease very slightly after irradiation, while the low resistance state (LRS), RESET voltage, and retention parameters are almost immune to radiation. Moreover, after irradiation, the decrease of resistance with the bias in HRS becomes more exacerbated when bended. Mechanism of bending on the RS is studied by the first-principles calculation, and the mechanism underlying the irradiation effect is studied from the viewpoint of the origin of RS.

Irradiation-stable hydrous titanium oxide-immobilized collagen fibers for uranium removal from radioactive wastewater

Developing efficient adsorbents with radiation stability for uranium removal from nuclear wastewater is greatly important for resource sustainability and environmental safety in manufacturing nuclear fuel. A novel adsorbent of hydrous titanium oxide-immobilized collagen fibers (HTO/CFs) with good radiation stability for UO22+ removal was developed. Results showed that the adsorption capacity of HTO/CFs for UO22+ was 1.379 mmol g−1 at 303 K and pH 5.0 when the initial concentration of UO22+ was 2.5 mmol L−1. Moreover, HTO/CFs showed high selectivity for U(VI) in bilateral mixed solution including UO22+ with another coexisting ion, such as Cl−, NO3−, Zn2+, and Mg2+. The adsorption behavior of UO22+ from radioactive wastewater on HTO/CF column was also investigated, and the breakthrough point was approximately 250 BV (bed volume). Notably, the HTO/CFs column can be rapidly regenerated by using only 4.0 BV of 0.1 mol L−1 HNO3 solution. The regenerated HTO/CFs column exhibited slight change in the breakthrough curve, suggesting its excellent reapplication ability. Furthermore, after irradiation under 60Co γ-ray at total doses of 10–350 kGy, HTO/CFs still preserved fibrous morphology and adsorption capacity, indicating significant radiation stability. These results demonstrate that HTO/CFs are industrial scalable adsorbents for the adsorptive recovery of uranium.

Gamma-ray induced modifications on CdS nanorod mesh:Structural, optical, and electrical properties

In present research work, gamma ray (γ-ray) induced modifications on the cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanorod mesh are investigated. CdS nanorod mesh is deposited on the glass substrate via chemical bath deposition. The samples are irradiated with Co-60 γ-rays with varying dose up to 200 kGy. Structural, optical, and electrical properties of CdS nanorod mesh are examined after exposure to gamma radiation. XRD pattern of pristine and gamma irradiated CdS nanorods revealed no phase transformation but variation in the relative intensity is visible. Moreover, the crystallite size is found to increase with the gamma dose. In addition, FESEM imaging displayed the morphology of pristine and gamma irradiated CdS nanorods. Furthermore, optical properties are also studied to check the effect of gamma irradiation on the respective parameters. The gamma radiation also produces significant changes in the transport properties of CdS nanorods. With gamma dose, CdS nanorod mesh displayed an increment in the current values due to ionization, defects and grain coalescence.

Characterization of ferrous-agarose-xylenol gel dosimeter at 60Co γ-rays beam therapy unit.

Fricke gel dosimetry is a valuable technique used for recording 3D dose distribution in radiotherapy. Herein, we present the dosimetric characteristics of a synthesized ferrous-agarose-xylenol orange gel dosimeter in a clinical 60Co beam. Experimental data were obtained using a secondary standards dosimetry laboratory 60Co therapy unit. The dosimeter was calibrated using the ionization chamber as a reference, and its total mass attenuation coefficient, absorption spectrum, optical density-dose relationship, sensitivity, and dose rate dependency were evaluated. The potentiality of the ferrous-agarose-xylenol gel dosimeter was investigated to measure output factors for different field sizes. The gel dosimeter readings were measured using a spectrophotometer. The ferrous-agarose-xylenol gel dosimeter exhibited a linearity in the range of 3-15Gy, indicating that the dosimeter is tissue-equivalent and dose rate-independent and yield reproducible results. The measured output factors and those published in the literature showed good agreement.

Radiation-Induced Processes in Diazoquinone–Novolac Resist Films under Irradiation with 60Co γ-Rays

The processes occurring under the irradiation of FP9120 diazoquinone–novolac resist films on silicon with 60Co γ-rays have been studied by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR spectroscopy. It has been found that a significant modification of the ATR spectra of the photoresist films was noticeable only at absorbed doses above 200 kGy, and it occurred due to the radiation-induced transformations of methyl, methylene, hydroxymethyl, and phenoxyl groups of phenol–formaldehyde resin and o-naphthoquinone diazide (a photosensitive component). At the same time, the ATR spectra exhibited no signs of the destruction of aromatic fragments in the resist at doses to 300 kGy. In the region of the stretching vibrations of C=O bonds, a decrease in the maximum intensity of a band at ~1700 cm–1 was observed upon irradiation with its simultaneous broadening and shift to the high-energy region by ~30 cm–1 due to a change in the nearest environment of the C=O group. An increase in the absorption band intensity at 1650 cm–1 indicated the accumulation of formaldehyde upon the γ-irradiation of the resist as a result of the fragmentation of hydroxymethyl residues in the phenol–formaldehyde resin.

Fluorescence anisotropy study of radiation-induced DNA damage clustering based on FRET.

A clustered DNA damage site (cluster), in which two or more lesions exist within a few helical turns, is believed to be a key factor determining the fate of a living cell exposed to a DNA damaging agent such as ionizing radiation. However, the structural details of a cluster such as the number of included lesions and their proximity are unknown. Herein, we develop a method to characterize a cluster by fluorescence anisotropy measurements based on Förster resonance energy transfer (homo-FRET). Plasmid DNA (pUC19) was irradiated with 2.0 and 0.52MeV/u 4He2+, or 0.37MeV/u 12C5+ ion beams (linear energy transfer: ~ 70, ~ 150, ~ 760keV/μm, respectively) and 60Co γ-rays as a standard (~ 0.2keV/μm) in the solid state. The irradiated DNA was labeled with an aminooxyl fluorophore (Alexa Fluor 488) to the aldehyde/ketone moieties such as apurinic/apyrimidinic sites. Homo-FRET analyses provided the apparent base separation values between lesions in a cluster produced by each ion beam track as 21.1, 19.4, and 18.7 base pairs. The production frequency of a cluster increases with increasing linear energy transfer of radiation. Our results demonstrate that homo-FRET analysis has the potential to discover the qualitative and the quantitative differences of the clusters produced not only by a variety of ionizing radiation but also by other DNA damaging agents.

A Novel Double-flowered Cultivar of Gypsophila paniculata Mutagenized by 60Co γ-Ray

A Novel Double-flowered Cultivar of Gypsophila paniculata Mutagenized by 60Co γ-Ray

Influence of heavyweight aggregates on the physico-mechanical and radiation attenuation properties of serpentine-based concrete

To highlight the impact of barite and hematite addition on selected physical, mechanical, and radiation attenuation properties of serpentine concrete (A), different replacement ratios of barite and hematite aggregates (25, and 50% by volume) were used separately. The physico-mechanical properties of the prepared serpentine-barite (AB25, 50) and serpentine-hematite (AH25, 50) concrete mixes compared to those of the control (A) were evaluated. The radiation shielding properties of these concrete mixes against both γ-ray and thermal neutrons were experimentally measured. The linear attenuation coefficient of γ-ray, µ, and thermal neutron attenuation coefficient, Ʃth, were determined experimentally by the transmission method in a fine beam geometry setup using 60Co γ-ray source and a moderated PuBe source, respectively. The experimental results of γ-rays were verified by the correlation with the theoretical data obtained by the WinXCom program. Besides, many γ-ray attenuation parameters, such as a half-value layer, HVL, single-valued, and energy-dependent effective atomic number, Zeff, as well as effective electron density, Neff, were determined. It was found that the addition of barite and hematite aggregates to serpentine concrete increased its bulk density, and decreased its mechanical strength. Moreover, unlike barite, the hematite increased the water absorption and porosity of concrete. In conclusion, this study revealed that the prepared hematite- and barite-serpentine concrete mixes, except for AB50, have acceptable mechanical properties with enhancing radiation shielding performance.

Preliminary study of linearity response of γ-irradiated graphene oxide as a novel dosimeter using the Raman spectroscopy

In this experimental study, graphene oxide (GO) nanopowder was prepared and irradiated by the 60Co γ-rays in different absorbed doses of 0, 10, 30, 50, 80, 100, 120 and 150 kGy at dose rate of 1.62 Gy s−1 at room temperature. Field emission scanning electron microscope and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses were used to investigate structural defects in GO material. Then, using Raman spectroscopy, the ratio of ID/IG related to D- and G-bands in the wavenumbers of 1350 and 1586 cm−1 was, respectively, measured in terms of absorbed dose to determine the dose–response of GO material. The results showed that the dose–response of γ-irradiated samples at the dose range of 0–50 kGy was linear. There was a decline in dose–response after 100 kGy due to graphitization of carbon nanostructure material or annealing the defects in the sample. The results of this study showed that the linearity response of γ-irradiated GO as a novel passive dosimeter is suitable for the dosimetry of γ-rays at the radiation processing level.

Non-ionizing radiofrequency field induces unfolded protein response (UPR) in endoplasmic reticulum of mouse neuronal cells

ObjectiveTo examine whether exposure of mouse neuronal cells to radiofrequency fields used in mobile communication devices can induce stress in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and activate unfolded protein response (UPR). MethodsHT22 mouse hippocampus neuronal cells were exposed to continuous wave 900 ​MHz radiofrequency fields (RF) at 120 ​μW/cm2 power intensity for 4 ​h/d for 5 consecutive days. The positive control cells were irradiated with 4 ​Gy of 60Co γ-rays at a dose rate of 0.5 ​Gy/min (GR). Twenty-four hours after the last exposure, cells were collected, and the expressions of sensor transmembrane proteins were detected using Western blot analysis. ResultsThe expression levels of Ire1, PERK, p-IRE1 and p-PERK, GRP78 and CHOP proteins were detected. There were no statistically significant differences in the expression levels of IRE1 and PERK proteins in control (CT), sham(SH)-, RF- and GR-exposed cells (P ​< ​0.05). The phosphorylated protein levels of p-IRE1 and p-PERK were significantly increased in cells exposed to RF and GR (P ​< ​0.05). The expression levels of GRP78 and CHOP were significantly increased in RF- and GR-exposed cells compared to CT and SH-exposed cells (P ​< ​0.05). Cells treated with 1 ​μg/ml TM for 24 ​h showed significantly increased expression levels of GRP78 and CHOP proteins compared to controls (P ​< ​0.05). In the presence of 2 ​mmol/L PBA, TM-induced increased levels of GRP78 and CHOP proteins were reduced (P ​< ​0.05). ConclusionsThe exposure of non-ionizing 900 ​MHz RF was able to cause stress in HT22 mouse neuronal cells and activated UPR in ER. Since UPR plays an important role in both cell survival (when UPR is mitigated) and apoptosis/death (under unresolvable stress conditions), further studies are required to determine the fate of the cells exposed to RF.

Low-Dose Radiation Exposure with 56MnO2 Powder Changes Gene Expressions in the Testes and the Prostate in Rats.

To investigate the biological effects of internal exposure of radioactive 56MnO2 powder, the major radioisotope dust in the soil after atomic bomb explosions, on male reproductive function, the gene expression of the testes and the prostate was examined. Ten-week-old male Wistar rats were exposed to three doses of radioactive 56MnO2 powder (41–100 mGy in whole body doses), stable MnO2 powder, or external 60Co γ-rays (2 Gy). Animals were necropsied on Days 3 and 61 postexposure. The mRNA expressions of testicular marker protein genes and prostatic secretory protein genes were quantified by Q-RT-PCR. On Day 3 postexposure, the testicular gene expressions of steroidogenesis-related enzymes, Cyp17a1 and Hsd3b1, decreased in 56MnO2-exposed groups. Germ cell-specific Spag4 and Zpbp mRNA levels were also reduced. On postexposure Day 61, the Cyp11a1 gene expression became significantly reduced in the testes in the group exposed to the highest dose of 56MnO2, while another steroidogenesis-related StAR gene mRNA level reduced in the 60Co γ-rays group. There were no differences in Spag4 and Zpbp mRNA levels among groups on Day 61. No histopathological changes were observed in the testes in any group following exposure. Expression in the prostatic protein genes, including CRP1, KS3, and PSP94, significantly decreased in 56MnO2-exposed groups as well as in the 60Co γ-rays group on Day 61 postexposure. These data suggest that the internal exposure to 56MnO2 powder, at doses of less than 100 mGy, affected the gene expressions in the testis and the prostate, while 2 Gy of external γ-irradiation was less effective.

Research on 1/f noise degradation of GaN LED caused by γ radiation under high bias

GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were radiated with 60Co γ-rays for an accumulated dose of up to 2.5 Mrad (SiO2). The radiation-induced current and 1/f noise degradations were studied when the devices operate at the high bias voltage. The current of GaN blue LED is determined by series resistance at the high bias voltage. Defects created by γ radiation in the LED lead to an increase in the series resistance, which causes the decrease of current. Based on the theory of Hooge mobility fluctuations, it suggests that the degradation of 1/f noise might also be attributed to these defects, which caused a decrease in the carrier mobility and the carrier number.

The effect of radiation on the forward and reverse bias current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of Au/(Bi4Ti3O12/SiO2)/n-Si (MFIS) structures

Determining the radiation effects on the basic electrical parameters of the fabricated high-dielectric MFIS structures, they were exposed to the high-energy 60Co γ-rays. For this purpose, the values of ideality factor (n), barrier height (ΦB) and series resistance (Rs) were extracted from the forward bias I–V data before and after irradiation by using various methods such as standard thermionic emission (TE) theory, Cheung’s and Norde functions. Additionally, the energy-dependent profile of surface states Nss was extracted by considering voltage dependence of n, ΦB and Rs and compared each other. Experimental results show that the reverse saturation current (Io), n and Rs values increase with increasing radiation dose, but ΦB decreases. When the value of Rs is considered in the calculation of Nss, they were found to be considerably decreased. The observed low discrepancies between Nss after irradiation show that the use of a high-dielectric ferroelectric interlayer leads to an increase in the resistance of MS to radiation. It is more important to fabricate radiation-resisted electronic device, especially in the satellites due to hard radiation in space. As a result, Nss, Rs and the existence of interlayer are more effectual on the I–V characteristics which must be considered in the electrical parameter calculation.

Preparation and adsorption property of novel inverse-opal hierarchical porous N-doped carbon microspheres

The design of pore structure is the key factor for the performance of porous carbon spheres. In this work, novel micron-sized colloidal crystal microspheres consisting of fibrous silica (F-SiO2) nanoparticles are firstly prepared by water-evaporation-induced self-assembly of F-SiO2 nanoparticles in the droplets of an inverse emulsion system to be used as sacrificial templates. Acrylonitrile (AN) was infiltrated in the voids of the F-SiO2 colloidal crystal microspheres, and in-situ induced by 60Co γ-ray to polymerize into polyacrylonitrile (PAN). After the PAN-infiltrated F-SiO2 colloidal crystal microspheres were carbonized and etched with HF solution, novel micron-sized inverse-opal N-doped carbon (IO-NC) microspheres consisting of hollow carbon nanoparticles with a hierarchical macro/meso-porous inner surface were obtained. The IO-NC microspheres have a specific surface area as high as 266.4 m2/g and a molar ratio of C/N of 5. They have a good dispersibility in water, and show a high adsorption capacity towards rhodamine B (RhB) up to 137.28 mg/(g microsphere). This work offers a way to obtain novel micron-sized hierarchical macro/meso-porous N-doped carbon microspheres, which opens a new idea to prepare high-performance hierarchical porous carbon materials.

Ionization effect and displacement effect induced photoresponsivity degradation on α-In2Se3 based transistors for photodetectors

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials-based photodetectors have attracted great attention because of quick response time, excellent photoresponsivity and high light/dark current ratio. α-In2Se3 is one of the interesting 2D vdW materials for photodetectors because of the interrelated in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) polarizations. It has been demonstrated that the polarizations can be used to regulate photoresponsivity of the α-In2Se3 nanoflakes based photodetectors. In addition, domain evolution may be related to the photoresponsivity degradation when the α-In2Se3 nanoflakes based photodetectors are in radiation environment. However, it is still unclear the effect of ionization and displacement damage on photoresponsivity induced by radiation particles. In this article, the α-In2Se3 based transistors for photodetectors are exposed in the 60Co γ-rays environment to induce the photoresponsivity degradation, all the channel width is about 95–100 μm for observing significant radiation effects. In order to investigate the intrinsic photoresponsivity degradation of the α-In2Se3 based transistors, a 405 nm laser is used as the light source to measure the photoresponsivity. The photoresponsivity of the devices is significantly degraded with increasing irradiation dose. Besides these, the dark current and Se atoms ratio decrease as the increasing of total dose. It may show complicate coupling radiation effect that the domain evolution induced by both the ionization effect and displacement effect promotes the photoresponsivity degradation. After a total dose of 1 Mrad (Si) 60Co γ-rays, the photodetector can still be used to detect the light with a high photoresponsivity of about 107 A/W when the input optical power density is about 454 μW/cm2. Our results may promote the investigation of radiation effect in 2D vdW materials-based photodetectors.

Radioprotection of thymine and calf thymus DNA by an azo compound: mechanism of action followed by DPPH radical quenching & ROS depletion in WI 38 lung fibroblast cells

PurposeTo explain the observed radio-protection properties of an azo compound, 2-(2-hydroxyphenylazo)-indole-3∕-acetic acid (HPIA). Materials and methodsMechanism of radioprotection by HPIA was attempted using the stable free radical 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) using UV-Vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The radical destroying ability of HPIA was studied by depletion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in WI 38 lung fibroblast cells. Results & DiscussionStudies indicate HPIA interacts with radical intermediates formed in solution following irradiation by 60Co γ-rays. As a result, reactive radical intermediates do not cause any damage on chosen substrates like thymine or calf thymus DNA when irradiated in presence of HPIA. The study showed that reactive intermediates not only react with HPIA but that the kinetics of their reaction is definitely faster than their interaction either with thymine or with DNA. Had this not been the case, much more damage would have been observed on chosen substrates following irradiation with 60Co γ-rays, in the presence of HPIA than actually observed in experiments, particularly those that were performed in a relatively high dose. Experiments reveal radiation induced-damage caused to thymine in presence of HPIA was ~ 136 to ~ 132times that caused in its absence under different conditions indicating the radio-protection properties of HPIA. In case of calf thymus DNA, damage in presence of HPIA was much lower than in its absence. A fluorometric microplate assay for depletion of ROS by detecting the oxidation of 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin-diacetate (DCF-DA) into the highly fluorescent compound 2′,7′ dichlorofluorescein (DCF) indicated HPIA brought about a considerable check on ROS-mediated damage to cells by scavenging them right away. ConclusionThe study indicates HPIA may be an antioxidant supplement during radiotherapy.

A Model for Estimating Dose-Rate Effects on Cell-Killing of Human Melanoma after Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a type of radiation therapy for eradicating tumor cells through a 10B(n,α)7Li reaction in the presence of 10B in cancer cells. When delivering a high absorbed dose to cancer cells using BNCT, both the timeline of 10B concentrations and the relative long dose-delivery time compared to photon therapy must be considered. Changes in radiosensitivity during such a long dose-delivery time can reduce the probability of tumor control; however, such changes have not yet been evaluated. Here, we propose an improved integrated microdosimetric-kinetic model that accounts for changes in microdosimetric quantities and dose rates depending on the 10B concentration and investigate the cell recovery (dose-rate effects) of melanoma during BNCT irradiation. The integrated microdosimetric–kinetic model used in this study considers both sub-lethal damage repair and changes in microdosimetric quantities during irradiation. The model, coupled with the Monte Carlo track structure simulation code of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System, shows good agreement with in vitro experimental data for acute exposure to 60Co γ-rays, thermal neutrons, and BNCT with 10B concentrations of 10 ppm. This indicates that microdosimetric quantities are important parameters for predicting dose-response curves for cell survival under BNCT irradiations. Furthermore, the model estimation at the endpoint of the mean activation dose exhibits a reduced impact of cell recovery during BNCT irradiations with high linear energy transfer (LET) compared to 60Co γ-rays irradiation with low LET. Throughout this study, we discuss the advantages of BNCT for enhancing the killing of cancer cells with a reduced dose-rate dependency. If the neutron spectrum and the timelines for drug and dose delivery are provided, the present model will make it possible to predict radiosensitivity for more realistic dose-delivery schemes in BNCT irradiations.

Characterization of 60CO γ-ray induced pod trait of blackgram-A promising yield mutants

Purpose: Blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) possesses natural flower dropping character with self-pollination, which was highly challenging to create variability through hybridization. Gamma irradiation is a powerful tool to induce genetic alteration and improvement in crops with beneficial mutants. Hence, the present investigation focused on finding out the mutant characters related to the improvement of the agronomic characters and yield-related traits by using gamma irradiation. Pod mutant isolated with fruitful agronomic trait at M2 (Mutagenic) generation was identified and isolated by gamma irradiation is a central focus in the present study, which enhances the yield of the blackgram.Materials and methods: Viable and uniform size of blackgram Vamban-4 seeds were irradiated at a different dose of 60CO (Cobalt) γ-rays viz., 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 Gray (Gy). The further generations were screened and raised to M3 and M4 plants to select the stable mutants with yield traits.Results: In the M2 generation, the following viable and pod mutants were identified, such as tall, dwarf, multipod, small pod, bold pod, striata pod. Morphological traits, such as plant height (PH), number of branches per plant (NBP), number of leaves per plant (NLP), number of cluster per plant (NCP), number of pods per plant (NPP), number of seeds per pod (NSP), pod length (PL), a hundred seed weight (HSW), seed yield per plant (SYP), were measured. Among the mutants, the increased morphogenetic traits were recorded in tall mutants (600 Gy), and the enhancement of yield characteristics noticed in multipod (800 Gy) and bold pod mutants (600 Gy). Compared to other doses, 600 Gy shows enhanced quantitative traits for blackgram improvement.Conclusion: The 60CO γ-rays induced genetic variation in the yield and its related traits and obtained pod mutants, which are useful to enhance the commercial value of Vigna species and crop improvement.

Comparison of the thermoluminescence properties of NaCaPO4:Dy3+ phosphors irradiated by 75 MeV C6+ ion and γ-rays

The thermoluminescence (TL) properties of sol-gel synthesized NaCaPO4:Dy3+ phosphors irradiated by different sources of γ and carbon-ion beam form the main focus of this article. The TL study of NaCaPO4:Dy3+ phosphor was discussed for the samples irradiated by different doses of Co60 γ-rays, Cs137 γ-rays and a 75 MeV C6+ ion-beam. The effects of irradiation on the structural and photoluminescence (PL) properties were explored on the basis of results obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and PL emission spectra. Not much change was observed in the XRD patterns, except for the loss of crystallinity due to the radiation exposure. Different TL characteristics such as linearity, dose-response and TL signal fading were also studied and the trapping parameters were determined using the Glow Curve Deconvolution method. NaCaPO4:xDy3+ has shown potential to be used for TL dose measurements of γ-radiation and also for C6+-ion beam measurements.