During the last ten to fifteen years, researchers have made considerable progress in the study of inorganic scintillators. New scintillation materials have been investigated, novel scintillation mechanisms have been discovered, and additional scintillator applications have appeared. Demand continues for new and improved scintillation materials for a variety of applications including nuclear and high energy physics, astrophysics, medical imaging, geophysical exploration, radiation detection, and many other fields. However, until now there have been no books available that address in detail the complex scintillation processes associated with these new developments. Now, a world leader in the theory and applications of scintillation processes integrates the latest scientific advances of scintillation into a new work, Physical Processes in Inorganic Scintillators. Written by distinguished researcher Piotr Rodnyi, this volume explores this challenging subject, explains the complexities of scintillation from a modern point of view, and illuminates the way to the development of better scintillation materials. This unique work first defines the fundamental physical processes underlying scintillation and governing the primary scintillation characteristics of light output, decay time, emission spectrum, and radiation hardness. The book then discusses the complicated mechanisms of energy conversion and transformation in inorganic scintillators. The section on the role of defects in energy transfer and scintillation efficiency will be of special interest. Throughout, the author does not offer complicated derivations of equations but, instead, presents useful equations with practical results.

This second open access volume of the handbook series deals with detectors, large experimental facilities and data handling, both for accelerator and non-accelerator based experiments. It also covers applications in medicine and life sciences. A joint CERN-Springer initiative, the "Particle Physics Reference Library" provides revised and updated contributions based on previously published material in the well-known Landolt-Boernstein series on particle physics, accelerators and detectors (volumes 21A, B1,B2,C), which took stock of the field approximately one decade ago. Central to this new initiative is publication under full open access

Phosphors for Radiation Detector Phosphors for Radiation Detectors Discover a comprehensive overview of luminescence phosphors for radiation detection In Phosphors for Radiation Detection, accomplished researchers Takayuki Yanagida and Masanori Koshimizu deliver a state-of-the-art exploration of the use of phosphors in radiation detection. The internationally recognized contributors discuss the fundamental physics and detector functions associated with the technology with a focus on real-world applications. The book discusses all forms of luminescence phosphors for radiation detection used in a variety of fields, including medicine, security, resource exploration, environmental monitoring, and high energy physics. Readers will discover discussions of dosimeter materials, including thermally stimulated luminescent materials, optically stimulated luminescent materials, and radiophotoluminescence materials. The book also covers transparent ceramics and glasses and a broad range of devices used in this area. Phosphors for Radiation Detection also includes: Thorough introductions to ionizing radiation induced luminescence, organic scintillators, and inorganic oxide scintillators Comprehensive explorations of luminescent materials, including discussions of materials synthesis and their use in gamma-ray, neutron, and charged particle detection Practical discussions of semiconductor scintillators, including treatments of organic-inorganic layered perovskite materials for scintillation detectors In-depth examinations of thermally stimulated luminescent materials, including discussions of the dosimetric properties for photons, charged particles, and neutrons Relevant for research physicists, materials scientists, and electrical engineers, Phosphors for Radiation Detection is an also an indispensable resource for postgraduate and senior undergraduate students working in detection physics.

Organic scintillator materials have long been used as radiation detectors. They offer simultaneous detection of fast neutrons and gamma rays for applications in nuclear nonproliferation, international safeguards, and national security. The recent development of high quality stilbene crystals with excellent neutron-gamma pulse shape discrimination (PSD) has generated renewed interest in using crystalline materials. However, crystal organic scintillators are subject to a directional dependence in their response to heavy charged particle interactions, degrading their energy resolution for neutron measurements and worsening their PSD performance. This dissertation presents several studies that experimentally characterize the scintillation anisotropy in organic crystal scintillators. These include measurements of neutron, gamma-ray and cosmic muon interactions in anthracene, a historical benchmark among organic scintillator materials, to confirm and extend measurements previously available in the literature. The gamma-ray and muon measurements provide new experimental confirmation that no scintillation anisotropy is present in their interactions. Observations from these measurements have updated the hypothesis for the physical mechanism that is responsible for the scintillation anisotropy concluding that a relatively high dE/dx is required in order to produce a scintillation anisotropy. The directional dependence of the scintillation output in liquid and plastic materials was measured to experimentally confirm that no scintillation anisotropy correlated to detector orientation exists in amorphous materials. These observations confirm that the scintillation anisotropy is not due to an external effect on the measurement system, and that a fixed, repeating structure is required for a scintillation anisotropy. The directional dependence of the scintillation output in response to neutron interactions was measured in four stilbene crystals of various sizes and growth-methods. The scintillation anisotropy in these materials was approximately uniform, indicating that the crystal size, geometry, and growth method do not significantly impact the effect. Measurements of three additional pure crystals and two mixed crystals were made. These measurements showed that 1) the magnitude of the effect varies with energy and material, 2) the relationship between the light output and pulse shape anisotropy varies across materials, and 3) the effect in mixed materials is very complex. These measurements have informed the hypothesis of the mechanism that produces the directional dependence. By comparing the various relationships between the light output and pulse shape anisotropy across materials, these measurements indicate that the preferred directions of singlet and triplet excitation transport may be the same in some materials and different in other materials. The measurements performed in this work serve as a resource to groups who aim to correct for the scintillation anisotropy or employ it as a directional detection modality. Additionally, this work has advanced the understanding of what physical processes and properties dictate the magnitude and behavior of the scintillation anisotropy in a given material. It has added new information to the body of knowledge surrounding the scintillation mechanism in organic crystal scintillator materials. This information may be used to construct models to predict the scintillation anisotropy effect in materials that have not been experimentally characterized. Such work can contribute to work in producing a new generation of organic scintillator materials, advancing many applications in nuclear science and security.

Handbook of Radioactivity Analysis is written by experts in the measurement of radioactivity. The book describes the broad scope of analytical methods available and instructs the reader on how to select the proper technique. It is intended as a practical manual for research which requires the accurate measurement of radioactivity at all levels, from the low levels encountered in the environment to the high levels measured in radioisotope research. This book contains sample preparation procedures, recommendations on steps to follow, necessary calculations, computer controlled analysis, and high sample throughput techniques. Each chapter includes practical techniques for application to nuclear safety, nuclear safeguards, environmental analysis, weapons disarmament, and assays required for research in biomedicine and agriculture. The fundamentals of radioactivity properties, radionuclide decay, and methods of detection are included to provide the basis for a thorough understanding of the analytical procedures described in the book. Therefore, the Handbook can also be used as a teaching text. - Includes sample preparation techniques for matrices such as soil, air, plant, water, animal tissue, and surface swipes - Provides procedures and guidelines for the analysis of commonly encountered na

The Theory and Practice of Scintillation Counting is a comprehensive account of the theory and practice of scintillation counting. This text covers the study of the scintillation process, which is concerned with the interactions of radiation and matter; the design of the scintillation counter; and the wide range of applications of scintillation counters in pure and applied science. The book is easy to read despite the complex nature of the subject it attempts to discuss. It is organized such that the first five chapters illustrate the fundamental concepts of scintillation counting. Chapters 6 to 10 detail the properties and applications of organic scintillators, while the next four chapters discuss inorganic scintillators. The last two chapters provide a review of some outstanding problems and a postscript. Nuclear physicists, radiation technologists, and postgraduate students of nuclear physics will find the book a good reference material.

Organic Scintillation and Liquid Scintillation Counting covers the proceeding of The International Conference on Organic Scintillators and Liquid Scintillation Counting, which was held on July 7-10, 1970 at the University of California, San Francisco. This conference was held to discuss ideas concerned with the theory and physics of organic scintillators and the use of liquid scintillation for radioactivity measurement and other analytical applications. This text discusses liquid scintillator solvents, the vacuum ultraviolet excited luminescence of organic systems, and the application of scintillation counters to the assay of bioluminescence. Also covered are topics such as scintillation decay and absolute efficiencies in organic liquid scintillators, dose rate saturation in plastic scintillators, and the mass measurements in a liquid scintillation spectrometer. The book is recommended for physicists who would like to know more about the advancements in the field of organic and liquid scintillation and its applications.

This book introduces the physics and chemistry of plastic scintillators (fluorescent polymers) that are able to emit light when exposed to ionizing radiation, discussing their chemical modification in the early 1950s and 1960s, as well as the renewed upsurge in interest in the 21st century. The book presents contributions from various researchers on broad aspects of plastic scintillators, from physics, chemistry, materials science and applications, covering topics such as the chemical nature of the polymer and/or the fluorophores, modification of the photophysical properties (decay time, emission wavelength) and loading of additives to make the material more sensitive to, e.g., fast neutrons, thermal neutrons or gamma rays. It also describes the benefits of recent technological advances for plastic scintillators, such as nanomaterials and quantum dots, which allow features that were previously not achievable with regular organic molecules or organometallics.