Sensitivity of whole human teeth to fast neutrons and gamma-rays estimated by L-band EPR spectroscopy

This paper reports the first attempt to use L-band spectroscopy for estimating the sensitivity of whole teeth to fast neutrons and gamma-rays. Three teeth were successively irradiated first with fast neutrons with a wide energy spectrum (mean energy around <f>30 MeV</f>) up to <f>∼160 Gy</f> and then with gamma-rays up to <f>∼14 Gy</f>. After each irradiation, L-band <f>(∼1 GHz)</f> EPR spectra of each whole tooth surrounded by the surface–coil resonator were recorded, yielding a single composite line principally due to <f>CO2−</f> and native radicals. The sensitivities are estimated by the slopes of the linear dose response curves of the dosimetric <f>CO2−</f> radicals. The ratios of the gamma/neutron sensitivities were found to be in the range 8–9 <f>(±2)</f> for the three teeth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]