Transparent ceramic scintillators for gamma spectroscopy and MeV imaging

N. J. Cherepy; Z. M. Seeley; S. A. Payne; E. L. Swanberg; P. R. Beck; D. J. Schneberk; G. Stone; R. Perry; B. Wihl; S. E. Fisher; S. L. Hunter; P. A. Thelin; R. R. Thompson; N. M. Harvey; T. Stefanik; J. Kindem

doi:10.1117/12.2189156

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4 September 2015 Transparent ceramic scintillators for gamma spectroscopy and MeV imaging

N. J. Cherepy, Z. M. Seeley, S. A. Payne, E. L. Swanberg, P. R. Beck, D. J. Schneberk, G. Stone, R. Perry, B. Wihl, S. E. Fisher, S. L. Hunter, P. A. Thelin, R. R. Thompson, N. M. Harvey, T. Stefanik, J. Kindem

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Proceedings Volume 9593, Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XVII; 95930P (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2189156
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We report on the development of two new mechanically rugged, high light yield transparent ceramic scintillators: (1) Ce-doped Gd-garnet for gamma spectroscopy, and (2) Eu-doped Gd-Lu-bixbyite for radiography. GYGAG(Ce) garnet transparent ceramics offer ρ = 5.8g/cm³, Z_eff = 48, principal decay of <100 ns, and light yield of 50,000 Ph/MeV. Gdgarnet ceramic scintillators offer the best energy resolution of any oxide scintillator, as good as R(662 keV) = 3% (Si-PD readout) for small sizes and typically R(662 keV) < 5% for cubic inch sizes. For radiography, the bixbyite transparent ceramic scintillator, (Gd,Lu,Eu)₂O₃, or “GLO,” offers excellent x-ray stopping, with ρ = 9.1 g/cm³ and Z_eff = 68. Several 10” diameter by 0.1” thickness GLO scintillators have been fabricated. GLO outperforms scintillator glass for high energy radiography, due to higher light yield (55,000 Ph/MeV) and better stopping, while providing spatial resolution of >8 lp/mm.

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N. J. Cherepy, Z. M. Seeley, S. A. Payne, E. L. Swanberg, P. R. Beck, D. J. Schneberk, G. Stone, R. Perry, B. Wihl, S. E. Fisher, S. L. Hunter, P. A. Thelin, R. R. Thompson, N. M. Harvey, T. Stefanik, and J. Kindem "Transparent ceramic scintillators for gamma spectroscopy and MeV imaging", Proc. SPIE 9593, Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XVII, 95930P (4 September 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2189156

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