Temperature Dependence of Novel Inorganic Scintillation Detectors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of four novel inorganic scintillation detectors (ISDs) with varying temperatures for use in radiotherapy. The ISDs were subjected to a range of temperatures (16 to 40°C) using a temperature controlled water bath and were irradiated at each temperature, while the spectral output and the signal intensity were examined using a spectrometer. Four scintillating powders were used in the ISDs: Gd2O2S:Tb, Gd2O2S:Pr, Gd2O2S:Eu, ZnS:Ag. The performance of both the Gd2O2S:Eu and ZnS:Ag scintillators were relatively poor under these measurement conditions, producing low signal-to-noise ratios. Thus, no conclusion could be drawn about their temperature dependence. The Gd2O2S:Pr ISD exhibited a 0.24% decrease in intensity per °C relative to the lowest temperature measurement. A temperature dependence in the signal uncertainty was also examined and found to be 0.3% per °C. On the other hand, no significant relationship was found to exist between the signal intensity and temperature for the Gd2O2S:Tb fiber. However, like the Gd2O2S:Pr fiber, a similar temperature dependence in its signal uncertainty was found; a 0.3% increase in signal uncertainty per °C.