On the analysis of thermally stimulated processes

Several methods are known for the evaluation of the main kinetic parameters related to a thermoluminescence (TL) curve: namely, the activation energy, the pre-exponential factor and the kinetic order. These methods can easily be applied, under certain conditions, to a series of related thermally stimulated phenomena which are governed by similar differential equations. These include thermally stimulated conductivity (TSC), thermally stimulated electron emission (TSEE), ionic conductivity (ITC) and thermally stimulated depolarization (TSD), thermal annealing (release of stored energy, measured thermally), partial thermo-remanent magnetization (PTRM), thermal absorption and evolved gas analysis (EGA), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The concept of a kinetic order which is neither first nor second is discussed as related to the various phenomena, as well as the temperature dependence of the pre-exponential factors. A special interest lies in performing simultaneous measurements of two (or more) of these effects, in particular, TL and TSC. A method is described for calculating the recombination probability from such simultaneous measurements and the cross-section for recombination therefrom.