Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1831716 | Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment | 2007 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
We present the results of γ-ray measurements on a large 4â³Ã6â³ LaCl3:Ce crystal, characterized using radioactive sources over the range 14-3220 keV. The response of the crystal was found to be largely linear over the upper 90% of its dynamic range-the deviations at lower energies can be attributed to the shortcomings of the photomultiplier tube (PMT) and is in fact a generic problem when using high-gain PMTs with lanthanum halide scintillators. At 662 keV, a measured energy resolution of 4.1% FWHM was recorded at room temperature. In comparison to earlier generations of LaCl3 detectors, the internal background spectrum shows significantly less X-ray, β, γ-ray and α contamination. The integral background count rate in the energy region 20 keV-3 MeV was determined to be 1.8 cmâ3 sâ1, of which most (1.5 cmâ3 sâ1) can be attributed to the β continuum from 138La and only â¼0.04 cmâ3 sâ1 to the α complex from 227Ac and daughters. Using these data, we have determined the light output of α particles relative to the equivalent energy electrons (or alternately γ-rays) to be, α/γ=0.35±0.02.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Physics and Astronomy
Instrumentation
Authors
Alan Owens, A.J.J. Bos, S. Brandenburg, C. Dathy, P. Dorenbos, S. Kraft, R.W. Ostendorf, V. Ouspenski, F. Quarati,