A position-sensitive detector with lithium glass and MaPMT

A position-sensitive detector is designed for neutron detection. It uses a single continuous screen of a self-made lithium glass scintillator, rather than discrete crystal implementations, coupling with a multi-anode PMT (MaPMT). The scintillator is fast and efficient; with a decay time of 34 ns and thermal neutron detection efficiency of around 95.8% for the 3 mm thick screen, and its light yield is around 5670 photons per neutron and 3768 photons per MeV γ rays deposition. The spatial resolution is around 1.6 mm (FWHM) with the energy resolution around 34.7% by using α (5.2 MeV) rays test.     

Scintillating properties of LiYSiO_4:Ce

LiYSiO₄:Ce is a promising scintillator and some of its properties have been reported in previous papers. In this paper, samples doped with different concentrations of Ce are prepared and studied. First, the relative light yields of the samples are measured as 28.1%-37.1% compared with a standard anthracene crystal being irradiated by α particles and as ～ 27.2% compared with NaI being irradiated by X-rays. Second, the effects of sample thicknesses on light yields are presented. Finally the timing behaviors of samples with different doped concentrations being irradiated with alpha particles and X-rays are discussed. The result shows that LiYSiO₄:Ce is a kind of fast scintillator ( ～ 30 ns) with a moderate light yield that can be used for neutron detection.     

Method for improving the time resolution of TOF system

In order to study the possibility of improving the timing performance of the time of flight (TOF) systems, which are made of plastic scintillator counters, and read out by photomultiplier tubes (PMT) with mesh dynodes and conventional electronics, we have conducted a study using faster PMTs and ultra fast waveform digitizers to read out the plastic scintillators. Different waveform analysis methods are used to calculate the time resolution of such a system. Results are compared with the conventional discriminating method based on a threshold and pulse height. Our tests and analysis show that significant timing performance improvements can be achieved by using this new system.     

Method for improving the time resolution of a TOF system

In order to study the possibility of improving the timing performance of the time of flight (TOF) systems, which are made of plastic scintillator counters, and read out by photomultiplier tubes (PMT) with mesh dynodes and conventional electronics, we have conducted a study using faster PMTs and ultra fast waveform digitizers to read out the plastic scintillators. Different waveform analysis methods are used to calculate the time resolution of such a system. Results are compared with the conventional discriminating method based on a threshold and pulse height. Our tests and analysis show that significant timing performance improvements can be achieved by using this new system.