GEANT4-based calibration of an organic liquid scintillator

• A light-yield calibration of an NE 213A organic liquid scintillator detector has been performed using bothmonoenergetic and polyenergetic gamma-ray sources. Scintillation light was detected in a photomultipliertube, and the corresponding pulses were subjected to waveform digitization on an event-by-event basis. Theresulting Compton edges have been analyzed using a GEANT4 simulation of the detector which models boththe interactions of the ionizing radiation as well as the transport of scintillation photons. The simulation is calibrated and also compared to well-established prescriptions used to determine the Compton edges,resulting ultimately in light-yield calibration functions. In the process, the simulation-based method produced information on the gain and intrinsic pulse-height resolution of the detector. It also facilitated a previously inaccessible understanding of the systematic uncertainties associated with the calibration of the scintillation-light yield. The simulation-based method was also compared to well-established numerical prescriptions for locating the Compton edges. Ultimately, the simulation predicted as much as 17% lower light-yield calibrations than the prescriptions. These calibrations indicate that approximately 35% of the scintillation light associated with a given gamma-ray reaches the photocathode. It is remarkable how well two 50 year old prescriptions for calibrating scintillation-light yield in organic scintillators have stood the test of time.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Acceleratorfysik och instrumentering (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Accelerator Physics and Instrumentation (hsv//eng)

Keyword

cintillation light-yield calibration

Organic liquid scintillator

NE 213A

Gamma-rays

Compton edge

GEANT4

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)