NOVEL PHOTODETECTOR FOR SCINTILLATION SPECTROSCOPY

SCINTILLATION DETECTORS ARE THE LEADING TYPE OF DETECTOR USED IN MANY AREAS OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS. NORMALLY PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBES (PMTS) ARE USED AS THE OPTICAL DETECTOR WITH SCINTILLATION CRYSTALS. UNFORTUNATELY PMTS HAVE LOW EFFICIENCY AT THE OUTPUT WAVELENGTHS OF MOST SCINTILLATORS AND THIS FACTOR, MORE THAN ANY OTHER LIMITS THE ENERGY RESOLUTION OF SCINTILLATION SPECTROMETERS. WE PROPOSE TO REPLACE THE PMT IN SCINTILLATION DETECTORS WITH A NEW TYPE OF SOLID STATE OPTICAL DETECTOR. THE PROPOSED DETECTOR WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED FROM THE MATERIAL TLBRXCL1-X AND POSSES A UNIQUE STRUCTURE WHICH WILL ENABLE IT TO HAVE MUCH GREATER OPTICAL EFFICIENCY THAN PMTS OR OTHER OPTICAL DETECTORS OVER SOME WAVELENGTH RANGES WHERE INORGANIC SCINTILLATORS EMIT. IF SUCCESSFUL THESE DETECTORS WOULD IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF SCINTILLATION BASED INSTRUMENTS AND GREATLY INCREASE THE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS WHERE THESE INSTRUMENTS COULD BE USED.