Abstract
The sensitivity of thermoluminescence detectors based on commercial lanthanum oxide (La2O3) for beta, gamma, and UV radiation has been investigated. The thermal activation energies were estimated using the T-stop technique. A linear response curve to ultraviolet radiation was obtained over the exposure time ranging from 1 to 120 min. A fading study over a period of 14 days shows that the UV-exposed aliquots faded by 48% when exposed for 30 min. The deep ultraviolet response for lambda = 254 nm makes La2O3 suitable for photon detectors and dosimeters.