Development of new generation of fast effective scintillators for high energy physics, medical diagnostics and research
PbWO4 (PWO) crystals as detectors
Purpose: This material becomes the most widely used in high-energy physics research. We developed several detectors based on this crystal, which can be used for detecting of the particles and gamma-rays with energy E > 10 MeV.
Area of use:High-energy physics. Two out of four experiments in CERN on LHC use PWO in electromagnetic calorimeters. In paritcular, PWO crystal was adopted as a basic element for electromagnetic calorimeter in CERN for CMS experiment and «Proton-Anriproton» (Panda) on antiproton accelerator and ion research (FAIR) at the Centre for Heavy Ion Research (GSI), Darmstadt, Germany, that are extremely important for the development of high-energy physics.
Main parameters:
| Parameter | PbWO4 |
| Number of photoelectrons/MeV | 15 |
| Energy resolution at incident electron energy 20 GeV, % | 1.3 |
| Maximum luminescence, nm | 420 |
| Radiation length, m | 0.9 |
| Scintillation time, ns | 3/10 |
| Insensitivity to radiation, GeV | 106 |
Advantages: Fast scintillator for detecting of high energy particles
YAlO 3:Ce crystal-based detectors
PurposeYAlO 3:Ce crystals are used for detecting of low energy X-rays and gamma-rays, and for detecting of alpha-radiation.
Area of use This scintillation material can be used for the development of dosimeters and radiometers, nuclear spectrometers, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and in medical radiology. YAlO 3:Ce crystals and detectors with them have been tested in companies “Quartz and Slice Holland BV”, “Philips” и “Delft TU” (Netherlands), “CRISMATEC” (France).
Main parameters:
X-ray detectors based on YAlO3:Ce
| Type | NaI(Tl) | YAlO3:Ce |
| Luminescence time, ns | 230 | 30 |
| Relative radiation yield | 1 | 0.4 |
| Mohs hardness | 2 | 8 |
| Radiation length, m | 0.9 | |
| Maximum count rate | 5×105 | 2×106 |
| Refrative index | 1.86 | 1.94 |
| Hygroscopy | yes | absent |
α-detectors based on YAlO3:Ce crystals
| Type | CsI(Tl) | YAlO3:Ce |
| Luminescence time, ns | 1000 | 30 |
| Energy resolution at energy 5.5 MeV, % | 4 - 6 | 3 - 8 |
| Mohs hardness | 2 | 8 |
| Hygroscopy | yes | absent |
Advantages Short luminescence time, low senstivity to external impacts
Light pulser
Purpose Designed to control the parameters and stabilizing of devices based on photomultiplier tubes and photodiodes.
Area of use Detectors of ionising radiation, photometry equipment
Main characteristics Microscopic structure of the pulser consists of high-speed scintillator and low-activity radiation source radioactive Am241. The scintillation crystal used in the pulser has mechanical and chemical properties close to diamond. Half-life of Am241 isotope is 465 years, that makes the pulser a highly stable and reliable source of low intensity light pulses. Also the pulser does not depend on surrounding conditions.
Reference
- YAlO3: Ce-Am light pulsers as a gain monitor for undoped CsI detectors in a magnetic field / Kobayashi M., Shinkawa T., Sato T., Sugimoto S., Korzhik M.V., Fyodorov A.A., Kachanov V.A. // NIM A. – 1994. – V. 337, No. 2-3. – P. 355-361. DOI: 10.1016/0168-9002(94)91103-7