The perfect scintillator should be dense, bright and fast.
- Dense means high density and high atomic number ≳ 5 g/cm3, which increases the probability of a gamma-ray interaction.
The denser the scintillator, the more efficient it is at stopping gamma rays. - Bright means more visible light is produced per unit energy absorbed ≳ 30,000ph/MeV, which increases signal, reduces the statistical uncertainty in position and energy.
The brighter the scintillator, the easier it is to pinpoint where in the scintillator the gamma-ray was stopped. - Fast means the scintillator creates the visible light in a short pulse ≲ 100 ns, which enables faster data acquisition rates, reduces the statistical uncertainty in position.
| Choices | |
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offer superior energy resolution, fast emission, excellent linearity and temperature stability. |
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good light yield, combined with an emission wavelength that matches up well with PMTs, makes NaI(Tl) ideal for many applications. |
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has the ability to detect Gamma radiation and Thermal Neutrons in a single crystal with exceptional PSD [FoM = 3.0]. |
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with dual gamma/neutron detection and an energy resolution near 4% |
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ideal for applications that require higher throughput, better timing and energy resolution, including time-of-flight PET. |
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for neutron activation analysis and active Compton shields |
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very good stopping power, with good plastic mechanical properties and relatively good radiation hardness |
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high light output and low afterglow for use with silicon photodiodes |
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| Scintillator | Light yield (photons/keV) | Light output (%) of NaI(Tl) bialkali pmt | 1/e Decay time(ns) | Wavelength of max emission lm(nm) | Refractive index at lm | Thickness to stop 50% of 662 keV photons (cm) | Density g/cm3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaBr3(Ce+Sr) | 73 | 190 | 25 | 385 | ~2.0 | 1.8 | 5.08 |
| LaBr3(Ce) | 63 | 165 | 16 | 380 | ~1.9 | 1.8 | 5.08 |
| CLLB | 43 | 115 | 180 /1100 | 420 | ~1.85 | 2.2 | 4.2 |
| NaI(Tl) | 38 | 100 | 250 | 415 | 1.85 | 2.5 | 3.67 |
| NaIL | 35 | 100 |
240, 1.4 μs |
419 | 1.85 | 2.5 | 3.67 |
|
LYSO
|
33 | 87 | 36 | 420 | 1.81 | 1.1 | 7.1 |
| CdWO4 | 12-15 | 30-50 | 14000 | 475 | ~2.3 | 1 |
7.9 |
| CsI(Tl) | 54 | 45 | 1000 | 550 | 1.79 | 2 | 4.51 |
| CsI(Na) | 41 | 85 | 630 | 420 | 1.84 | 2 | 4.51 |
| BGO | 8 - 10 | 20 | 300 | 480 | 2.15 | 1 | 7.13 |
| CaF2(Eu) | 19 | 50 | 940 | 435 | 1.47 | 2.9 | 3.18 |
| YAG(Ce) | 8 | 15 | 70 | 550 | 1.82 | 2 | 4.55 |
| CsI(Pure) | 2 | 4-6 | 16 | 315 | 1.95 | 2 | 4.51 |
| BaF2 | 1.8 | 3 | 0.6-0.8 | 220(195) | 1.54 | 1.9 | 4.88 |
| 10 | 16 | 630 | 310 | 1.50 | 1.9 | 4.88 | |
| ZnS(Ag) | ~50 | 130 | 110 | 450 | 2.36 | -- | 4.09 |
| The data presented are believed to be correct but are not guaranteed to be so. | |||||||
