skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Energy resolution of scintillation detectors readout with large area avalanche photodiodes and photomultipliers

Journal Article · · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/23.682429· OSTI ID:624169
;  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Soltan Inst. for Nuclear Studies, Swierk-Otwock (Poland)
  2. Advanced Photonix, Inc., Camarillo, CA (United States)
  3. Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Physics

The energy resolution of small NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl), BGO, GSO, YAP and LSO crystals has been studied using 16 mm diameter large area avalanche photodiodes (LAAPD) and a 52 mm diameter photomultiplier. The best result of 4.8% for 662 keV {gamma}-rays from a {sup 137}Cs source was obtained with a 9 mm in diameter by 9 mm high CsI(Tl) scintillator coupled to an LAAPD. Measuring the number of primary electron-hole pairs produced in the LAAPD and photoelectrons in the photomultiplier, as well as the noise contribution of the LAAPD, allowed a quantitative discussion of the results. The energy resolutions measured with LAAPDs are comparable to, or significantly better (at certain emission wavelengths) than, those obtained with the photomultiplier. At energies above 100 keV the energy resolution measured with the majority of crystals and the LAAPD was weakly affected by the photodiode noise contribution. The advantages and limitations of LAAPDs in energy spectrometry with scintillation detectors are also discussed.

OSTI ID:
624169
Report Number(s):
CONF-971147-; ISSN 0018-9499; TRN: 98:006422
Journal Information:
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Vol. 45, Issue 3Pt1; Conference: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) nuclear science symposium and medical imaging conference, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 11-13 Nov 1997; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English