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In this chapter some general aspects are
mentioned regarding detector construction which may help you choosing the right detector
for your application. |
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Scintillation crystals without
photomultiplier tubes
A scintillation crystal can be
supplied to fit user specifications. The scintillation crystal is usually supplied in a
hermetically sealed metal container to protect the crystal from hydration (NaI(Tl)) or to
protect the crystal from other environmental influences. In case of nonhygroscopic
crystals this requirement is less stringent.
Because of statistics, it is always
desirable to detect as much light as possible from a scintillation event in the light
detection device. For this purpose, the scintillation crystal is covered on all sides,
except the read-out side, with reflective material. This can be e.g. white reflective
paper, teflon or reflective powder such as MgO or Al2O3. The
surfaces in contact with the reflector can be optically polished or ground. The
scintillation light is transmitted through a glass or quartz window to be optically
coupled to the PMT entrance window.
Depending on the shape of the scintillation
crystal, a certain surface treatment is required to obtain a large light output and a
good uniformity. Both are important to achieve a good energy resolution. The optimization
of scintillation crystal surfaces is based on experience with the material and not always
obvious. In case of axial or transverse wells in the crystal (see
section 7), different types of surface treatments are required to ensure a homogeneous
response.
In general it is advisable to choose
the diameter of the scintillator slightly smaller than the diameter of the PMT since the
outer area of a PMT is often less sensitive that the center.
Optical coupling to the PMT can be
achieved by using optical grease or a special optically transparent glue. In Fig. 5.1 the general construction of a canned scintillation crystal is
shown. Flexible optical coupling allows for different expansion coefficients between
materials. |
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Scintillation crystals with
photomultiplier tubes
The most frequently used
scintillation detector consists of a scintillation material integrally coupled to a PMT.
The entire assembly is mounted in a metal housing with m-metal shielding
against the influence of magnetic fields. For conditions where strong fields are expected,
this shield can be increased in thickness for additional protection.
Standard scintillation detectors read
out with PMTs can be provided with either an external so called "plug-on" Voltage
Divider (VD) for the PMT or with a built-in one. In the first case, the detector
itself ends in a 12, 14, 20 or 21 pins connector that should be plugged into the socket of
the VD. This allows quick exchange of detectors and electronics but it makes the detector
considerably longer (about 5 cm). For more details regarding detector electronics we refer
to section 8. For low background applications, a built-in
VD is always advised since this avoids the use of connector materials which are often a
source of background. Fig. 5.2 shows a detector with integrally
connected PMT and built-in voltage divider / emitter follower. |
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Detector entrance windows
The density and thickness of the
detector entrance window determine the transmission of the radiation. For high energy
gamma-rays say > 300 keV, the absorption of a mm or so entrance window can be neglected
and the choice for a window is dictated by practical considerations.
For lower energy X-rays
this choice is more critical. In Fig. 5.3 the transmission of a range
of standard detector windows is presented from which you can determine the optimum window
for your application. The thinnest Aluminum window normally used has a thickness of 25 -30
mm. This window can be used down to 10 keV
X-ray energy. Below this energy, 0.2 or 0.3 mm thick Beryllium is required. The advantage
of a Be window above a thin aluminum one is that is it less fragile.
For the detection of low
energy electrons (beta particles), a thin aluminized (light tight) mylar window is
used. Mylar windows however can only be applied for nonhygroscopic scintillation materials
(see section 3). Standard thickness is 25 or 100 mm. |
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For the detection of alpha particles or
heavy ions, a windowless detector (used in absolute dark, e.g. a vacuum vessel) or
a very thin aluminized mylar window is used (typical thickness 2 mm).
Some crystals are suitable to coat with several hundreds of nm evaporated aluminum for the
detection of very low energy beta particles (e.g. from Tritium). |
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Crystal dimensions and housing
materials
As discussed in section 2.1, the surface area (solid angle) and the thickness of a
scintillation crystal determine its detection efficiency. Normally, a scintillation
crystal is read out with a PMT or a photodiode in dimension equal to one of its sides.
However it is possible to use light guides or to taper a crystal without much loss of
performance. This can save space and cost, especially when resolution is not of
importance.
The maximum size of a scintillation
crystal varies very much between different materials. NaI(Tl) crystals can be manufactured
up to around 0.5 m in diameter whereas e.g. the limit for good quality BGO crystals is
around 15 cm. This has to do with crystal growing physics related to the physical
properties of the material. The limit for Ce doped crystals like YAP:Ce is even smaller, 5
cm in diameter. Sometimes it is easier and less expensive to construct a large detector
surface area by combining smaller detectors.
We always advise to consult us for
the optimum detector configuration for your application.
Detectors can be supplied with
cylindrical housings made of e.g. plastics (only non-hygroscopic crystals), aluminum,
(chrome plated) steel, stainless steel or copper. More complicated
geometries are possible but add to cost. Aluminum has excellent radiation transmission
properties but is relatively soft and can corrode, even when anodized. For aggressive or
rough environments (shocks), stainless steel is advised. Copper is useful for low
background applications (see section 5.7).
All detectors can be provided with
customer defined mounting flanges or other means to support the instrument. |
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Light Pulsers
The
light yield of a scintillation material and the gain of a PMT is a function of
temperature. As discussed in section 2, it is possible to calibrate a scintillation
detector on a light pulse emitted by e.g. a stabilized LED or by the light emitted by a radioactive
pulser. This can be :
- A low activity built-in gamma source
producing a line outside the region of interest; the energy is usuallyi 1 MeV.
- An alpha particle emitting nuclide
like 241Am in contact with the primary scintillation crystal producing a line
between 1 and 3.5 MeV.
- A small (few mm diameter) built-in
spot activated pulser crystal like YAP:Ce in optical contact with the primary
scintillation crystal.
The advantage of method 1 is that one
calibrates on the true response of the primary crystal. However, many gamma sources have
more than one line and Compton background adds to the spectrum.
The advantages of alpha sources is
the absence of Compton background and their high energy (usually around 5 MeV) which
implies narrow lines. The disadvantage is that the temperature response of many
scintillation crystals is different for gammas and alphas. The optimum choice depends on
the energy of interest and on the temperature region in which the detector should be
stabilized. |
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Photodiode detectors
The advantages and limitations of
photodiode detectors were already discussed in detail in section
4. In general, the required size of the scintillation crystal determines the
possibility to use this readout technique. Small crystals perform best with good energy
resolution and noise levels around 50 keV or slightly less. For medical applications these
devices are well suited for measurement of 140 keV gamma-rays in which case the CsI(Tl)
scintillation crystal is chosen with 15 x 15 or 10 x10 mm surface area.
Photodiode detectors are
also widely used for heavy ion detection in combination with thin Si detectors for E / DE
measurements applied to particle identification. Compact size, good energy resolution and
immunity to magnetic fields are pros.
A totally different application is
the measurement of high intensity X-ray beams. In this case, the photodiode is used in DC
current mode (no pulse height discrimination). Low afterglow scintillation crystals like
CdWO4 are used in arrays coupled to photodiodes. Advantages are the good signal
reproducibility, the absence of gain drift and the compact size. Examples of photodiode
detectors are shown in section 7. |
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Low background detectors
The term low background in itself
needs to be specified in detail. A proper definition is the number of counts within a
certain energy window with a well-defined shielding around the instrument (Pb, Fe and Cu).
Sources of background from within the
detector are the photomultiplier tube, the detector housing and the crystal. The main
contributing nuclides are 40K (mainly from the PMT glass) and U and Th which
are present in small quantities in the housing and window materials. Special PMTs can be
selected with a ultra-low K content and all other materials can be pretested prior to
assembly. Plastics should be avoided because these often contain K. Aluminum has a larger
U and Th content than steel so for low background applications, steel housings are the
best choice.
In low background detectors special
precautions are taken to reduce the internal background. Between PMT and crystal quartz or
undoped NaI light guides are used to absorb the beta radiation from 40K and to
increase the distance between the PMT and the scintillation crystal.
The scintillation crystal is a source
of internal contamination too. Standard NaI(Tl) crystals have a low background since their
40K content is less than 1 ppm. However, BGO crystals have an internal
background that can be considerable and is approx 7 c/s/cc total (0 - 3 MeV). This
background is caused by traces of 206Pb that are transmuted by cosmic radiation
into 207Bi, resulting in gamma lines at 570, 1060, 1630 (sum peak) and 2400
keV. All BGO has this property. BaF2 crystals have an intrinsic background of
Radium causing a set of alpha lines with a typical count rate of 0.2 c/s/cc. The best
scintillation crystal for low background applications is NaI(Tl). |
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Low BackGround Detector |
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