High-Z Sensitized Plastic Scintillators: A Review
Abstract
The need for affordable and reliable radiation detectors has prompted significant investment in new radiation detector materials, due to concerns about national security and nuclear nonproliferation. Plastic scintillators provide an affordable approach to large volume detectors, yet their performance for high-energy gamma radiation is severely limited by the small radiation stopping power inherent to their low atomic number. Although some sensitization attempts with organometallics were made in the 1950s to 1960s, the concomitant decrease in light yield has limited the usefulness of these sensitized detectors. Recently, with new knowledge gained during the rapid development of organic optoelectronics and nanotechnology, there has been a revived interest in the field of heavy element sensitized plastic scintillators. In this paper, the recent efforts on sensitized plastic scintillators are summarized. Basic scintillator physics is first reviewed. The discussion then focuses on two major thrusts in the field: sensitization with: (1) organometallics and (2) oxide and fluoride nanoparticles. The design rationales and major results are examined in detail, with existing limitations and possible future pathways discussed. Lastly, special attention is paid to the underlying energy deposition and transfer processes, as these determine the key performance metrics such as light yield and radioluminescence decay lifetime.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1];
[2];
[1]
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1543075
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1436355
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-781719
Journal ID: ISSN 0935-9648; 976556
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344; AC03‐76SF00098; AC03-76SF00098
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Materials
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 30; Journal Issue: 27; Journal ID: ISSN 0935-9648
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; gamma; high‐Z; nanocomposite; scintillator
Citation Formats
Hajagos, Tibor Jacob, Liu, Chao, Cherepy, Nerine J., and Pei, Qibing. High-Z Sensitized Plastic Scintillators: A Review. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1002/adma.201706956.
Hajagos, Tibor Jacob, Liu, Chao, Cherepy, Nerine J., & Pei, Qibing. High-Z Sensitized Plastic Scintillators: A Review. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201706956
Hajagos, Tibor Jacob, Liu, Chao, Cherepy, Nerine J., and Pei, Qibing. Mon .
"High-Z Sensitized Plastic Scintillators: A Review". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201706956. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1543075.
@article{osti_1543075,
title = {High-Z Sensitized Plastic Scintillators: A Review},
author = {Hajagos, Tibor Jacob and Liu, Chao and Cherepy, Nerine J. and Pei, Qibing},
abstractNote = {The need for affordable and reliable radiation detectors has prompted significant investment in new radiation detector materials, due to concerns about national security and nuclear nonproliferation. Plastic scintillators provide an affordable approach to large volume detectors, yet their performance for high-energy gamma radiation is severely limited by the small radiation stopping power inherent to their low atomic number. Although some sensitization attempts with organometallics were made in the 1950s to 1960s, the concomitant decrease in light yield has limited the usefulness of these sensitized detectors. Recently, with new knowledge gained during the rapid development of organic optoelectronics and nanotechnology, there has been a revived interest in the field of heavy element sensitized plastic scintillators. In this paper, the recent efforts on sensitized plastic scintillators are summarized. Basic scintillator physics is first reviewed. The discussion then focuses on two major thrusts in the field: sensitization with: (1) organometallics and (2) oxide and fluoride nanoparticles. The design rationales and major results are examined in detail, with existing limitations and possible future pathways discussed. Lastly, special attention is paid to the underlying energy deposition and transfer processes, as these determine the key performance metrics such as light yield and radioluminescence decay lifetime.},
doi = {10.1002/adma.201706956},
journal = {Advanced Materials},
number = 27,
volume = 30,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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