DECAY TIMES OF SCINTILLATORS

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1958 · IRE Trans. Nuclear Sci.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS2.1958.4315653· OSTI ID:4285344

Swank, R K; Phillips, H B; Buck, W L; Basile, L J

The rate of decay of luminescence fellowing excitation by a high energy particle is an important parameter both in application and interpretation of scintillation phenomena. Two of the present authors developed a more accurate method of measuring scintillation decay, using a pulsed x-ray tube. However, the intensity and time resolution of that apparatus was not adequate fer the measurement of all interesting scintillators. A new apparatus has been constructed in which cathode rays are used to excite the scintillator. Cathode- ray pulses as short as 10/sup -10/ sec are generated by sweeping a cathode-ray beam across a narrow slit. The emergent electrons in the pulse are accelerated to ~80 kev and pass through a thin window to strike the scintillator. The latter may be a crystai, plastic, or liquid. The light from the scintillator is detected and amplified by a multiplier phototube, type IP28. The currents from the anode and last dynode are fed through 120-ohm transmission lines to a travelingwave oscilloscope. A value of 2.15 x 10/sup -9/ sec is obtained for the decay time of scintillations from a solution of 5 g/l of terphenyl in toluene, in agreement with previous measurements. The apparatus is currently being used to study the dependence of the decay time on solute concentration in liquid and plastic scintillators. The decay time is found to increase with decreasing concentration, as predicted by the current theories of energy transfer. Further investigations of the nature of the process of energy transfer in plastics are being carried out by measurements of the shape of the decay curve. A description of the apparatus and some of the more interesting results are presented. (auth)

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Lemont, Ill.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-13-003771
• OSTI ID: 4285344
• Journal Information: IRE Trans. Nuclear Sci., Journal Name: IRE Trans. Nuclear Sci. Vol. Vol: NS-5
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANODES
CABLES
CATHODE RAYS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CRYSTALS
CURRENTS
DECAY
DYNODES
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON TUBES
ENERGY
ENERGY RANGE
ERRORS
EXCITATION
INSTRUMENTS
KEV RANGE
LIGHT
LIQUIDS
LUMINESCENCE
MEASURED VALUES
OPERATION
OSCILLOGRAPHS
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOMULTIPLIERS
PLANNING
POLYMERS
POLYPHENYLS
PULSES
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIATION SOURCES
RESOLUTION
SCINTILLATIONS
SOLUTIONS
THICKNESS
TOLUENE
TRANSPORT
USES
VARIATIONS
VELOCITY
WINDOWS
X RADIATION