Evaluation of Thermal Activation Energies from Glow Curves

Abstract

A new method for the evaluation of thermal activation energies from glow curves of excited crystals is described. Use is made of the symmetry of the glow peak, from which the activation energy is calculated by a simple formula: $E=\left(\frac{q}{\delta }\right)k{T_g}^2$, where $T_g$ is the peak temperature, $k$—Boltzmann's constant, $\delta$—the half-width towards the falloff of the glow peak, and $q$—a factor which can be computed from the shape of the glow peak. Values of $q<~1$ were found for monomolecular processes, while $1<~q<~2$ correspond to bimolecular ones. The method thus enables to determine the type of kinetics.