Using LEDs to stimulate the recovery of radiation damage to plastic scintillators

Abstract

In this study, we consider using LEDs to stimulate the recovery of scintillators damaged from radiation in high radiation environments. We irradiated scintillating tiles of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Eljen brand EJ-260 (EJN), an overdoped EJ-260 (EJ2P), and a lab-produced elastomer scintillator (ES) composed of p-terphenyl (ptp) in epoxy. Two different high-dose irradiations took place, with PEN dosed to 100 kGy, and the others to 78 kGy. We found that the ‘blue’ scintillators (PEN and ES) recovered faster and maximally higher with LEDs than without. Conversely exposing the ‘green’ scintillators (EJ-260) to LED light had a nearly negligible effect on the recovery. We hypothesize that the ‘green’ scintillators require wavelengths that match their absorption and emission spectra for LED stimulated recovery.