Response characteristics of GSO(Ce) crystal to intermediate-energy αα-particles

Characteristics of a GSO(Ce) crystal were investigated in terms of the light output response and the peak-to-total efficiency for impinging intermediate-energy αα-particles. Experiments were carried out using αα-particles of energies ranging from 143 to 718 MeV with primary αα beams of 400 and 718 MeV. It has been demonstrated that the experimental results are explained well by calculations in the same manner as for protons and deuterons. In particular, no particle identity dependence of scintillation quenching phenomena have been observed between protons, deuterons and αα-particles. Furthermore, good linearity is confirmed in the higher energy range up to 718 MeV. The peak-to-total efficiency was accounted for by calculations using αα-nucleus reaction cross-sections.