Improvement of the scintillation properties of Gd3Ga3Al2O12:Ce,B single crystals having tailored defect structure

A novel approach is reported to minimize various defect centers in Ce doped Gd₃Ga₃Al₂O₁₂ single crystals to improve the scintillation properties. The crystals of Gd₃Ga₃Al₂O₁₂ codoped with 0.2 at% Ce and B (GGAG:Ce,B) have been grown in air and argon ambient using the Czochralski technique. The scintillation light output of crystals grown in Ar ambient was significantly increased after annealing the crystals in air. The measured light output of 60000 ph/MeV for annealed crystals is the highest value reported among this class of materials. As a consequence, the energy resolution at 662 keV gamma‐rays from a ¹³⁷Cs source was improved from 8% for the crystals grown in air to 6% for crystals grown in Ar and subsequently annealed in air. Further, the thermal quenching energy of photoluminescence (PL) emission was increased to be 470 meV for the annealed crystals. The thermoluminescence (TL) measurements suggest that the crystals grown in Ar ambient and post‐growth annealed in air may have a lesser concentration of trap centers which subsequently lead to the improvement in optical and scintillation properties leading to a superior detector performance. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Ein Halbleiter-Szintillationsdosimeter zur Dosimetric von Röntgen- und Gammastrahlung

Durch Kombination geeigneter CdS-Photowiderstände mit langwellig fluoreszierenden organischen Plastszintillatoren lassen sich Miniatur-Szintillationssonden geringer Energieabhüngigkeit zur Dosimetric von Röntgen- und γ-Strahlung herstellen. Die beschreibene Sonde enthält einen Photowiderstand vom Typ Cl 905 HLL zur Szintillationslichtmessung und einen Polystyrolszintillator mit den lumineszierenden Komponenten PBD und PNB (γ_max = 493 nm) als Strahlungsdetektor. Aufbau und Eingenschaften eines Halbleiter-Szintillationsdosimeters mit einem Meβbereich von 1 bis 1000 R/h werden beschriben, insbesondere werden Maβnahmen zur Verringerung der Energieabhängigkeit der Sondenanzeige diskutiert.     

Der Aufbau eines pulsierenden Neutronengenerators

Radiometrische Methoden bilden eine wesentliche und vorteilhafte Ergänzung in der analytischen Chemie. Als besonders geeignet enwies sich dabei die Aktivierungsanalyse mit schnellen Neutronen, die u. a. bereits Eingang in die geophysikalische Prospektion bei Bohrlochuntersuchungen gefunden hat. Als Neutronenquellen dienen speziell ausgelegte Neutronengeneratoren. Solche Generatoren sind in der Sowjetunion und in den USA entwickelt worden.     

Emerging blue‐UV luminescence in cerium doped YAG nanocrystals

Time‐resolved luminescence properties of Ce³⁺ doped Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG) nanocrystals have been studied by means of vacuum‐ultraviolet excitation spectroscopy. It was discovered that additionally to the regular Ce³⁺ yellow‐green emission which is well‐known luminescence in YAG, new emission covering a broad spectral range from 2.7 eV to 3.5 eV was revealed in the luminescence spectra for all YAG:Ce nanocrystals studied. This blue‐UV emission has fast decay time about 7 ns as well as intensive well‐resolved excitation band peaking at 5.9 eV and, in contrast to green Ce³⁺ emission, practically is not excited at higher energies. The origin of the blue‐UV emission is tentatively suggested and discussed. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Measurement of the luminescence properties of Gd2O2S:Pr,Ce,F powder scintillators under X-ray radiation

The aim of the present study was to investigate the absolute luminescence efficiency of gadolinium oxysulfide powder scintillators, doped with praseodymium, cerium and fluorine (Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce,F). Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce,F is a non-hygroscopic material, emitting green light with short decay time. For the purposes of this study, two scintillating screens with coating thicknesses 35.7 and 71.2 mg/cm², were prepared in our laboratory from Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce,F powder (Phosphor Technology, Ltd) by sedimentation on silica substrates. The light emitted by the phosphors under investigation was evaluated by performing measurements of the absolute efficiency under X-ray exposure conditions with tube voltages ranging from 50 to 130 kV. Results were compared with previously published data for Gd₂O₂S:Eu screens. The spectral compatibility of Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce,F with various existing optical detectors, was investigated after emission spectra measurements. Particle size and morphology parameters of the Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce,F powder phosphor were verified via scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs. Absolute efficiency was found to maximize at 60 kVp for the 71.2 mg/cm² and at 90 kVp for the 35.7 mg/cm² Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce,F screens. Absolute efficiency of the 71.2 mg/cm² Gd₂O₂S:Pr,Ce,F screen was higher in the whole X-ray tube voltage range showing potential interest for non-CT medical imaging (i.e. dental radiology) or industrial digital radiography.     

CsI(Tl)晶体的$lt;i$gt;α$lt;/i$gt;/γ 波形数字化实时甄别

基于CsI（Tl）探测器对α/γ 粒子的波形甄别能力,采用电荷比较法设计了一种波形实时甄别系统. 介绍了实时甄别系统的设计原理,利用⁶⁰Co-γ源、²⁴¹Am-α源对实时系统进行了甄别实验,探究了不同参数对甄别效果的影响,并给出了最优甄别效果下的参数设置. 研究表明,设计的数字化实时波形甄别系统体积小,能准确、实时地甄别开α/γ粒子,最佳品质因子大于1.4,事件计数率可达3× 10⁵/s. 关键词： 数字化波形甄别 实时 电荷比较法 CsI(Tl)晶体     

Hole traps in Lu2O3:Eu ceramic scintillators. II. Radioluminescence and thermoluminescence

A sample of Eu³⁺-activated lutetium sesquioxide transparent ceramic has been investigated by combined scintillation and thermoluminescence excited by prolonged gamma-ray irradiation. The thermoluminescence glow curve partially confirms and extends a previous model for afterglow following pulsed X-ray excitation. The initial concentration of hole traps, tentatively attributed to anion Frenkel defects in thermodynamic equilibrium, is found to be substantially augmented by reversible radiation damage.     

Picosecond excitonic luminescence in ZnO and other wide-gap semiconductors

Radiative lifetimes of free-atom transitions, scaled by ω³ for comparison at 368 nm, are not faster than about 6.9 ns. BaF₂ core-valence luminescence, scaled in the same way from 220 to 368 nm, corresponds to 4.1 ns. In contrast, excitonic transitions in wide-gap semiconductors display subnanosecond radiative lifetimes, and in particular ZnO has radiative lifetimes measured at 50–300 ps for D^o,X and 400–900 ps for free excitons. The “giant oscillator strength” corresponding to these lifetimes can be explained by theories developed initially for defect-bound excitons, then quantum wells, and nanoparticles. An exciton is a coherent array of N dipoles, where N is the number of sites covered by coherent translational motion of the exciton. This is not essentially a phenomenon of multiple excitons, but applies as well to single-exciton decay. It differs in that regard from the more familiar Dicke giant dipole of N coherently excited atoms lacking translational periodicity. The phenomenon suggests possibilities for achieving ultrafast scintillators and high light yield.     

闪烁体材料MBPO_5∶Ce(M=Ca,Sr,Ba)的制备及光谱性质

报道了Ce3+掺杂的碱土金属硼磷酸盐的制备、结构和光谱性质。在助熔剂的作用下,用高温固相反应法制备了MBPO5 (M=Ca,Sr,Ba)样品,并在还原气氛下成功地实现了Ce3+的掺杂。用X射线衍射(XRD)和傅里叶红外吸收谱(FT IRspectra)表征了样品的结构。X射线衍射结果表明,产物为六方相的菱硼硅铈矿(Stillwellite)结构。FT IRspectra给出了BO4、PO4 等基团的信息。测量并分析了材料在室温下的真空紫外紫外(VUV UV)激发光谱及相应的发射光谱。在紫外光的激发下,观察到Ce3+的5d→2FJ(J= 7 /2, 5 /2)的发射,分析了基质晶格对Ce3+的激发和发射谱的影响,并测量了BaBPO5 基质中Ce3+的发光寿命。     

An unique method of determining the excitation energy migration coefficient in organic liquid scintillators

An experimental method is described to determine the excitation energy migration coefficient Λ in an organic liquid scintillator by measuring the energy transfer rate parameterk ₃ and the quenching rate parameterk _7b as a function of temperature in the range of 20°C–70°C. In this experiment we have used toluene as donor, ethyl-1-n-butyl-2-methyl-5-hydroxyindole-3-carboxylate (EBMHC) as acceptor and bromobenzene as quencher. The values of Λ are found to be in good agreement with literature values. Hence this method can be used to determine the migration coefficient in organic liquid scintillators.