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Large area thermal neutron detectors are applied in many fields including industrial imaging, nuclear safeguarding, neutron scattering, and fundamental science. Historically, these detectors were based on 3He gas proportional counters despite the limitations of 3He detectors such as high cost, limited supply, non-uniform spatial resolution, and depth of absorption problems. Two alternatives to 3He detectors are 6Li-loaded glass scintillators, and powdered ZnS(Ag) scintillators mixed with 6LiF neutron converters. The 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) scintillator has advantages over 6Li glass as it is less expensive and can be produced in larger areas, although its self-absorption presents a problem. In this work, we developed a large area thermal neutron detector based on 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) scintillator coupled with wavelength shifting fibers. The detector uses resistive charge divider-based position encoding. We further modified and improved the method by 2D segmentation of the detector using modular multichannel readout electronics. This segmentation approach allows for a combination of large detector area, improved spatial resolution, and increased count rate. Furthermore, spatial resolution can be variable across the detector area by adjusting the segment size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muography using cosmic ray muons is a non-invasive and environmentally friendly imaging technique with comprehensive applicability across various fields such as mineral exploration, archaeology, and engineering, etc. Given characteristics of high penetration and broad energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons, three-dimensional density distribution of objects up to hundreds of meters can be well reconstructed. In mineral exploration and archaeology applications, conventional planar detectors are too large and usually deployed in spacious rooms like tunnels or outdoors, which seriously limits the deeper and broader applications of muography. A type of borehole muon detector is highly desired to address this. In the work, we introduce a novel borehole-type muography detector comprising annular and prismatic plastic scintillators, allowing for its deployment in boreholes. In the paper, the structural design of the detector is described in details and its performance is evaluated numerically and experimentally. Comprehensive investigation on components and on the system as a whole were conducted. According to our commissioning tests, the detector we propose has an omnidirectional field of view without blind spots, with an angular uncertainty of 27.4 mrad and a position uncertainty of 2.29 mm in the azimuthal direction, an angular uncertainty of 20.6 mrad and a position uncertainty of 10.31 mm in the zenithal direction. Detection efficiencies for both annular and prismatic scintillators were measured as 90.3 ± 0.53% and 92.27 ± 0.82%. In addition, an underground location was investigated, survival rate distributions being calculated from above-ground and underground measurements. The results indicate its capability to successfully address muography applications This novel borehole-type detector has the potential to address industry demand for lower-cost, more flexible muography solutions. • Achieves high angular resolution and full 360° omnidirectional detection within a compact borehole-sized format. • Maintains >90% detection efficiency across scintillator sections. • Utilizes a simplified single-ended readout design with fewer electronic channels. • Employs low-cost, easy-to-process plastic scintillators as the primary component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to differentiate between natural and artificial radioactive materials such as plutonium in nuclear facilities. In this study, a scintillator-based alpha-particle detector was developed using YAP:Ce scintillator and Multi-Anode PhotoMultiplier Tube. The detector was used to measure various naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) samples including radon progeny, lead plate, lantern mantle, and radium ceramic ball. The measurement results were compared with Monte Carlo simulation calculations and were found to be in agreement. The energy resolution of the detector is 8.6%FWHM. In the measurement results of radon progeny, peaks of 212Bi (6.1 MeV), 214Po (7.7 MeV), and 212Po (8.8 MeV) can be observed. The lead plate contains 210Po and emits 5.3 MeV alpha particle. The simulation with the same energy was able to reproduce the actual measurement. The results showed the energy and distribution of the alpha particles emitted by the NORM samples. The study successfully demonstrated the capability of the developed alpha-particle detector in identifying NORM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the development of a custom particle detection system that aims to improve the detection capabilities of the ROSPHERE array. The detector is designed specifically for lifetime measurements using the in-beam Fast-timing method for nuclear states in nuclides produced in nuclear transfer reactions. An 80 x 3.6 mm disc of BC400 plastic scintillator was coupled to a sparse SiPM array readout connected to a dedicated Front End Electronics board. The detector was tested versus a conical LaBr 3 (Ce) coupled to a Hamamatsu PMT readout. The timing measurements resulted in a resolution of 896(5) ps. The detector design, characteristics, and performances are presented in this paper along with future improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed X-ray imaging can be used to observe the internal evolution of objects in the microsecond range. However, obtaining data and processing images continuously are difficult when the speed of X-ray imaging is more than one million frames per second (fps). The novel method of high-speed X-ray imaging, which is based on a SiPM auto-encoding detector, was proposed. The different response to X-ray is realized by adjusting the bias voltage of different pixels to encode the analog signals. The analog signals from multiple SiPM pixels are simplified into a single signal. In this way, SiPM is constructed as the SiPM auto-encoding detector, which greatly reduces the amount of analog signals to be sampled for each frame of X-ray image, and then the image is reconstructed in the upper computer. The feasibility of the imaging method was verified by coupling the pixelated SiPM and lutetium-ytterbium scintillation crystals to construct a SiPM auto-encoding detector. Six patterns were exposed when pulsed X-rays were performed at frequencies of 100 and 500 kHz. Then, the number of image pixels was compressed from 16 to 4. The peak signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstructed images was above 41, and the structural similarity was above 0.99. Experimental results demonstrated that the speed of continuous X-ray imaging reached 500, 000 fps for six kinds of 4 × 4 pixel patterns. This method can be applied to improve the speed of high-speed continuous X-ray imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma detectors consisting of lanthanum bromide (LaBr 3) scintillator and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) have extensive applications in various scientific fields. Accurate gamma energy measurement depends on accurate calibration of these detectors. While some studies have attempted detector self-calibration based on the natural background of LaBr 3 , these methods are limited to specific LaBr 3 crystals and lack generality. To address this limitation, this paper proposes a self-calibration method that solely utilizes the natural radioactivity of 138La. By solving for the maximum similarity between the test background from measurement and the standard spectrum obtained from the Geant4 simulation, the detector is effectively calibrated. Furthermore, the application of a series of energy spectrum processing algorithms simplifies the solution complexity of the maximum similarity problem. Experimental results from four different crystals at varying temperatures demonstrate calibration errors of less than 0.8% at 662 keV, highlighting the method's broad applicability and accuracy. Besides, the influence of the background measurement time and the natural environmental background on the self-calibration method are discussed in detail, further illustrating the value of the application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signal saturation in the Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) often causes a serious problem in using a detector equipped with SiPMs for scintillator readout. Conventionally, SiPM signal saturation is measured through direct injection of visible light pulses to the SiPM. However, the method works poorly with the scintillation detector because the effects of the time constant of the emission of scintillation light are not included. Here, we present a novel method to measure the precise degree of SiPM signal saturation in scintillation detectors. The key difference from the conventional method is to use UV light pulses, as opposed to visible light ones, to inject and excite scintillation light in the detector. It allows us to directly measure the degree of saturation in situ taking into account all the major effects in the detector, such as the time constant of the scintillation emission. We also develop a new model for SiPM signal saturation and validate it with the measured degree of saturation with the above-mentioned new method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise measurement under high counting rates has been a major challenge for γ -ray spectroscopy, where signals generally pile up with each other and their characteristic values are deeply coupled. An off-line pile-up pulse recovery algorithm based on template matching is developed for LaBr 3 scintillation detectors and has been applied to data from China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-n white neutron beamline. As an improvement to the traditional Template Matching methods, the predetermined template shape is associated with pulse amplitudes, which is found crucial to achieve the best fitting results. Moreover, a universal strategy of setting the initial values of fitting allows to resolve signals that are separated in time by less than the characteristic rise time. Processing of simulated pulses demonstrates that the lower limit of interval to distinguish successive events is 10 ns, which is a significant improvement to the previous works. The algorithm performs well under a counting rate of 6 × 1 0 7 s−1, and is still effective up to 1 0 8 s−1. Analysis of experimental data indicates that this algorithm recovers over 98% count yield under a counting rates of no more than 4 × 1 0 6 s−1 in this work, providing a more reliable approach to deduce neutron-induced reaction cross sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel beam profiler based on microstructured scintillation resin is presented. The detector consists of a bundle of waveguides, featuring an active area of 30 × 30 mm 2 with a fill factor of 50% and a pitch of 400 μ m. This configuration is obtained by casting a scintillating resin into a microfabricated Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold. A prototype, coupled to an array of photodiodes and readout electronics, potentially allowing profile rates up to 7 kHz, has undergone testing with an ultraviolet (UV) source and a proton beam accelerated at different energies, typical of those employed in proton therapy. The experimental results obtained during the test campaigns were compared with theoretical simulations demonstrating a good agreement with the modeling expectations, thus confirming the validity of this novel design for microstructured scintillating detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of large-scale neutron detector arrays in future experiments is of vital importance to increase our understanding of β -delayed neutron emitters. A new device, DAEMON (Detector Array for Energy Measurements Of Neutrons), is being designed for the GRIFFIN decay station at TRIUMF-ISAC. DAEMON will improve the precision on the measurement of the neutron kinetic energy through the use of thin plastic scintillators, SiPMs arrays, and the Time-of-Flight technique, to enhance the current capabilities to study neutron rich nuclei at TRIUMF. The performance and feasibility of the DAEMON array was investigated using the Geant4 package to simulate and optimize the experimental design. To test the optical parameters and models implemented in the Geant4 simulations, a comparison with experimental data from small plastic scintillators combined with SiPM detectors was performed. The simulations reproduce the experimental data very well, including features introduced by summing 2 × 2-SiPM arrays in software. This work lays the foundation for simulations of the full DAEMON array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work a new readout scheme for scintillator-based detectors, using discrete time differences through a delay line is proposed, reducing the readout channels while maintaining the spatial resolution. A prototype was built using plastic scintillator blocks and MPPC sensors. Currently, the prototype produces discrete distributions with a dispersion < 1. 1 ns which allows discriminating the different positions. The estimated spatial resolution is σ = 1. 456 mm. This value presents a better resolution than that of Time-of-Flight detectors and of the order of Segmented detectors, but uses fewer readout channels. It is expected to improve this resolution using interpolation effects and testing with larger scale instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a novel application of the lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) scintillator in a newly constructed neutral particle analyzer with a parallel electric and magnetic fields structure (E//B NPA). The LYSO scintillator, coupled to the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) without a reflector, serves as the detector module in the E//B NPA. The LYSO+SiPM configuration offers numerous advantages for the NPA application, including high efficiencies, compact size, low voltage operation, and exceptional resistance to magnetic fields. The performance of a prototype detector module was studied using a radioactive source in conjunction with the 50 kV electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source platform. The crosstalk of optical photons from adjacent detector modules was examined with two detectors, and it was determined to be negligible. The high-energy α spectra exhibited a distinctive two-shoulder structure, which arises from α particles impinging on different positions of the LYSO crystal surface. This observation was further investigated through Geant4 simulations. The detector module was found to have a low-energy limit of 10 keV for hydrogen ions. In the comprehensive measurements, linear energy responses were observed for α particles and hydrogen ions within the error bars. The relative light yield of α and hydrogen ions exhibited a different trend compared to that of γ rays or electrons, providing valuable insights for the study of non-proportionality of light yield for light ions in the LYSO scintillator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phoswich (phosphor sandwich) systems composed of ZnS(Ag) and plastic dual scintillators have the ability to distinguish α and β particles via digital pulse-shape discrimination. In this work, a novel logistic regression algorithm based on time–frequency features (LR-TF) is presented and evaluated for its ability to digitally discriminate α and β particles in a mixed field. The LR-TF algorithm employs the charge comparison method (CCM) and Fourier gradient analysis (FGA) to extract time–frequency features from pulse shapes, thereby constructing a logistic regression model. Training of the model is shown to enable the discrimination α and β particles. The CCM, FGA, and LR-TF were applied to thousands of pulses obtained with a data acquisition system based on a Phoswich coupled with a silicon photomultiplier. The experimental results show that the LR-TF algorithm provided the best overall performance with misidentification ratios of 1.9 % and 0.63 % for α particles and β particles, respectively, achieving a figure of merit of 4.30, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.996. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiological site remediation is a resource intensive process requiring extensive field sampling to demonstrate regulatory compliance. Specifically, the application of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and automated hybrid radiation transport methods has garnered interest in streamlining the remediation process by simulating detector responses for a plurality of contaminated media, contamination depths and profiles, and source-detector orientations. In this study, experimental validation of gamma-ray detector efficiency responses was conducted for simulations of radiological site-specific and idealized external contamination conditions. Measurements were performed with a cylindrical 2′′ × 2″ sodium iodide thallium-doped (NaI(Tl)) scintillator detector suspended above a 217.8 kBq, 50 cm × 50 cm 137Cs contamination source located on the surface of or buried within environmental soil. New area correction factors (ACFs) and gamma shielding factors (GSFs) were also derived to modify the simulated idealized detector efficiency responses, accounting for reductions in source area and clean soil covering layers, respectively, that may be encountered when performing in-situ gamma spectrometry in the field. The study concluded that simulated total detection efficiency from energy deposition in the active volume of the detector crystal can be adopted for radionuclide screening purposes. Furthermore, pragmatic implementation of environmental surveying using gamma-spectrometry requires site-specific information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In deep-underground experiments, intrinsic detector background can exceed the external one, limiting the detection sensitivity. Intrinsic background in liquid scintillator neutron detectors consists of α particles emitted from radioactive impurities in the detector housing (and possibly in the liquid). We present the results of long background measurements of 12 EJ-309 liquid organic scintillators detectors in the deep-underground Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics. These detectors are a part of the detection array for the SHADES ERC project that aims to measure the very low cross section (down to picobarn) of the astrophysically important reaction 22 Ne (α , n) 25 Mg. With an exposure of ∼ 35 days we identify an actinide concentration in the detector housing of 8. 4 (1. 8) sta (1. 4) sys × 1 0 − 2 ppm and 1. 62 (0. 57) sta (0. 03) sys × 1 0 − 1 ppm of 238 U and 232Th, resulting in 64 α particle counts per hour. The half-life of 214Po was also determined as 163. 7 (11) μ s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scintillation radiation detectors based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are widely used nowadays both in various medical apparatus and physics experiments, e.g., in PET. At the same time, this technology has great potential in terms of creating X-ray photon counting detectors, which are in demand both in medicine and applied research. In this work, we investigate the influence of main SiPM parameters on the overall system performance, as well as different methods of data readout. It is shown that the use of SiPMs with shorter cell recovery time and larger number of microcells makes it possible to achieve a rate capability of 12 Mcps (mega counts per second) per channel. At the same time, the scintillator decay time is still among the limiting factors for such systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a systematic study of the properties (Light Output Non-Uniformity (LONU) and energy resolution) of two CsI(Tl) scintillation units over a span of almost three years, under adverse conditions of humidity and temperature. These two crystals are part of the CALIFA detector, a highly segmented calorimeter and spectrometer for γ rays and light-charged particles, that is placed surrounding the reaction target at Cave C, the experimental cave of the R 3 B (Reactions with Radioactive Relativistic Beams) collaboration at the GSI-FAIR facilities in Darmstadt, Germany. The findings obtained after the experiment indicate that there was no significant impact on the performance in terms of resolution and LONU. This suggests that the employed wrapping for light collection effectively serves as an excellent barrier against humidity. As a result, the crystal is preserved in a far better condition than initially anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New detectors for future high-energy physics experiments will operate under unprecedented radiation dose rates. This condition requires improved radiation resistance on detector equipment. The consequent development of new materials, particularly optical materials, becomes crucial. In this work, optical components mean reflectors, light absorbers, or light transmitters. These materials, reflectors or light transmitters, are needed in detectors primarily to collect and transmit light from the scintillator to the PMT. When it comes to light absorbers, they are required to protect the detector from light from the environment. This work aims at studying selected optical materials with improved properties (functional and optical) and radiation resistance that can be used in new detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments. Light transmittance, optical reflection, thermal characteristics, and radiation resistance were investigated to evaluate the proposed materials. We have developed optical systems based on siloxanes to continue our previous developments of radiation-resistant materials for radiation detectors. We also report a study of several reflective materials and light absorber introduced into the siloxane. Investigations have shown that these systems are radiation resistant to doses of at least 1 MGy. Tested samples were irradiated at linear electron accelerator LUE-40 in the National Science Center Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT). The accelerated electrons were sent to the heavy complex targets to deliver the irradiation with gamma or neutron fluxes. The consequent gamma and neutron fluxes and doses were estimated with the GEANT4 simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BlueSTEAl, the Blue (aluminum chamber of) Silicon TElescope Arrays for light nuclei, has been developed to study direct reactions in inverse kinematics, as well as scattering and breakup reactions using radioactive ion beams. It is a detector system consisting of a pair of annular silicon detector arrays and a zero-degree phoswich plastic scintillator. For typical binary reaction studies in inverse kinematics, light ions are detected by the Si array in coincidence with heavy recoils detected by the phoswich placed at the focal-plane of a zero-degree magnetic spectrometer. The Si array can also be used to detect light nuclei such as beryllium and carbon with clear isotope separation, while the phoswich can also be placed at zero degrees without a spectrometer and used as a high-efficiency beam counting monitor with particle identification capability at the rate of up to ∼ 5 × 104 particles per second. This paper reports on the capabilities of BlueSTEAl as determined by recent experiments performed at the Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute. The device is also anticipated to be used in future experiments at other radioactive ion beam facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of simultaneous measurement of neutrons and gamma rays with good resolution has potential impact on numerous applications in, for example, national security. Here, we employ a phosphor-sandwich style detector, combining Gadolinium-Aluminium-Gallium-Garnet (GAGG(Ce)) and Cerium-Bromide (CeBr 3) scintillators with a silicon photomultiplier for photodetection. Through pulse-shape discrimination (PSD), we are able to distinguish thermal neutron capture on the gadolinium from γ -ray detection in the CeBr 3 with a figure-of-merit in the region-of-interest of 1.406(5). In agreement with previous work we demonstrate that an improved signal-to-background can be achieved through the use of very thin GAGG(Ce) crystals, while also demonstrating the importance of the detector geometry in reducing the low-energy background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully developed 20- and 40-wt% HfO 2 -nanoparticle-loaded plastic scintillators (Hf-PLSs), and subsequently, assembled X-ray timing scintillation detectors using the Hf-PLSs and silicon avalanche photodiodes (Si-APDs) as the photodetector. Two types of Si-APDs were examined for two different detectors. A proportional-mode APD (pAPD) exhibited a nanosecond response, but a relatively low internal gain of less than several hundred. By contrast, a Geiger-mode APD exhibited a high gain of 105−6, but its output pulse width was longer than several tens of nanoseconds; the pixelated device is called as SiPM. A pAPD (Hamamatsu Photonics S8664-4433, 3 mm in diameter) was used as the photodetector and was combined with 20 wt% Hf-PLS (∼3 mm cube) as the X-ray scintillation timing detector. A SiPM (Hamamatsu Photonics S13360-3025, 3 mm × 3 mm) was assembled with 40 wt% Hf-PLS (∼3 mm cube). The characteristics of the two types of scintillation timing detectors were evaluated using a 57.61-keV synchrotron X-ray beam to assess their applicability in nuclear resonant scattering experiments. Both the detectors were cooled down to −35 or −20 °C to reduce noise and obtain a higher APD gain. A good time resolution of (0.31 ± 0.04) ns (FWHM) was easily obtained with the SiPM detector using a large APD gain at −20 °C, although the time resolution of the pAPD detector finally reached (0.39 ± 0.04) ns (FWHM) at −35 °C owing to a small gain of 146. However, a maximum count rate of over 1.4 × 107 s−1 was observed owing to the fast response of the pAPD detector, whereas the SiPM detector exhibited a maximum count rate of 5.9 × 106 s−1 because of the long pulse tail of ∼30 ns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the temporal response of SiC-HPMTs, a new SiC detector with a faster time response (leading edge 1.5 ns, FWHM 4 ns) was developed for constructing an improved SiC-HPMT. Then the properties of the improved SiC-HPMT were studied in detail. Compared with those of the previous SiC-HPMT, the temporal response of the improved SiC-HPMT, with a leading edge of about 2 ns and a FWHM of less than 5ns was effectively improved. The maximum linear current that exceeded 630 mA depends on both the accelerating and focusing voltage (V a) and the bias voltage (V SiC) of the SiC detector, but has a strong dependence on V a. The scintillation detector comprised of the improved SiC-HPMT and an EJ228 scintillator can accurately obtain the multiple peaks characteristic of the pulsed X-ray source, which indicates that the improved SiC-HPMT can well satisfy the requirements for measuring the time information of fast pulsed radiation fields. In addition, the SiC-HPMT should be placed at the position that deviates from the radiation beam to avoid the direct irradiation on the SiC detector. The improved SiC-HPMT will further expand its application in pulsed radiation field measurements and become a supplement for existing photoelectric detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most detector systems used for positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) are very expensive due to the use of inorganic plastic scintillators combined with a high number of readout electronic channels. This work aims to reduce the overall cost of a PEPT-capable detector system by using large and cost-effective plastic scintillators and developing custom 2 × 2 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays, preamplifiers, and discriminators. The use of long (20 mm × 20 mm × 1000 mm) plastic scintillator bars read out with photodetectors only at their respective ends allows an overall smaller number of photodetectors and associated readout electronics, which in turn reduces the overall cost of the system. In addition, the development of a custom SiPM array and preamplifier allows a free selection of interconnection and readout, as most commercial producers only offer specific types of interconnections and therefore lack other connections such as serial or hybrid. Thus, several common circuit types for SiPMs and preamplifiers were tested and compared in this work, and it was found that a serial connection implemented in a hybrid interconnection for the SiPMs and an inverting preamplifier based on a high-frequency operational amplifier provided the best results for the proposed detector system. Measured with a 22Na source, the combination of SiPM array and preamplifier led to a rise time of 3.7 ns and a signal amplitude of 175 mV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outer water buffer is an economic option to shield the external radiative backgrounds for liquid-scintillator neutrino detectors. Since the refractive index of the liquid scintillator is larger than that of water, the consequential total internal reflection of scintillation light at the media boundary introduces extra complexity to the detector optics. This paper develops a precise detector-response model by investigating how total internal reflection complicates photon propagation and degrades reconstruction. We first parameterize the detector response by regression, providing an unbiased energy and vertex reconstruction in the total internal reflection region while keeping the number of parameters under control. From the experience of event degeneracy at the Jinping prototype, we identify the root cause as the multimodality in the reconstruction likelihood function, determined by the refractive index of the buffer, detector scale and PMT coverage. To avoid multimodality, we propose a straightforward criterion based on the expected photo-electron-count ratios between neighboring PMTs. The criterion will be valuable for the success in future liquid-scintillator detectors by guaranteeing the effectiveness of event reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fast-cured, boron-loaded, plastic organic scintillator was developed and characterized. A diisopropylnaphthalene-containing scintillator was manufactured in minutes with the addition of two commercially available fast-curing monomers, isobornyl acrylate (IBOA) and 1,6-Hexanediol dimethacrylate (HDDMA). The light yield of the device was measured to be approximately 70% relative to a similarly sized, but several-year-aged, EJ-276 detector. Using a coincidence capture technique, the neutron capture light output was found to be 87.7 ± 4.2 keVee, which was 1.47 ± 0.07 greater than the light output from a 59.5 keV electron. Producing a viable fast-cured and thermal-neutron-sensitive detector enables the capability to pursue cost-effective 3D printed thermal neutron detectors in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A characteristic of every inorganic scintillator crystal is its light yield, i.e., the amount of emitted scintillation photons per unit of energy deposited in the crystal. Light yield is known to be usually non-linear with energy, which impacts the spectroscopic properties of the scintillator.Cerium-doped gadolinium–aluminium–gallium garnet (GAGG:Ce) is a recently developed scintillator with several interesting properties, which make it very promising for space-based γ -ray detectors, such as in the HERMES nanosatellite mission. In this paper we report an accurate measurement of the GAGG:Ce non-linearity in the 20–662 keV γ -ray energy interval, using a setup composed of three samples of GAGG:Ce crystals read out by Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prompt gamma-ray detector for measuring the boron-10 concentration in real time for boron neutron capture therapy was researched. Our previous detector, which comprised a scintillator made from a slab of LaBr 3 (Ce) and an 8 × 8 array multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC), discriminated between 478 keV and 511 keV gamma rays. However, the spatial resolutions of the detector were not applicable to the detection of the boron concentration distribution. An 8 × 8 pixelated LaBr 3 (Ce) scintillator has been employed to improve the spatial resolution. In our previous report, the spatial resolution was improved by using the pixelated scintillator. However, the scintillation light produced in one pixel was sufficient to saturate the photon counts above 229 keV. Thus, a single peak was separated when the signals of all 64 channels were summed up. Many photon counts were eliminated to obtain the observed gamma-ray spectrum. In this study, an advanced 8 × 8 MPPC was employed, and the detector system had an energy resolution of 6.15% at 511 keV and spatial resolutions of 2.88 and 2.95 mm in the lateral and vertical directions, respectively, without eliminating any photon counts. In addition, the linearity of the photon counts of the 478 keV gamma rays and boron concentration was confirmed. • A prompt gamma-ray imaging detector was developed with an arrayed LaBr 3 (Ce) scintillator and a multi-pixel photon counter. • The energy resolution at 511 keV was 6.15% which was sufficient to discriminate between 478 and 511 keV gamma rays. • This detector system had the linearity between ADC channels and gamma-ray energies. • The linearity between B-10 concentration and the count rate of prompt gamma rays at 478 keV was confirmed. • The spatial resolution of this detector system was better than our previous detector system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy has long been considered as a powerful approach to characterize atomic-scale vacancy-type defects and supermicropores, which affect the macroscopic properties of materials. In standard PAL measurements, several million annihilation events are required to achieve accuracy. For a conventional PAL spectrometer which consists of two scintillation detectors and analytical electronics, the two detectors are usually perpendicularly positioned to diminish spectra distortions (caused by backscattering and pileup). The perpendicular placement of detectors leads to a counting rate of 100 – 300 counts/second (cps) while using a 30 μ Ci 22Na source (3.3 – 10 cps/ μ Ci). Consequently, collecting one PAL spectrum with total counts of one million takes several hours. The long time limits its potential to observe changes in the microstructure. To increase the counting rate of PAL measurements, we propose a novel multi-detector PAL spectrometer, which includes three or four detectors, a digital oscilloscope, and an algorithm for any detector to record both start and stop signals. The spectrometer achieves a high counting rate of around 2144 cps (71.5 cps/ μ Ci) with four detectors, which is about ten times that of a conventional one with two detectors perpendicularly positioned. This work enables us to perform in-situ PAL measurements to disclose the minute-scale evolution of microstructure more precisely during fast physical and chemical processes in the future. • A better spectrum unfolding accuracy can be achieved with a larger total count. • The scintillator size and geometry was optimized using Geant4. • A reversible start/stop data acquisition algorithm was developed to double the counting rate. • The novel spectrometer is highly extendable to 3, 4 and more detectors. • The counting rate of ten times higher than the conventional spectrometer was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An entrance window surrounded phoswich design of GAGG:Ce/CsI:Tl has been implemented for a low-background and Compton-suppressed detector. Not as the common phoswich detector does, the GAGG:Ce scintillator with the well-type CsI:Tl scintillator entrance window surrounded makes the efficient large-angle Compton suppression. This design also makes results measured by the phoswich detector have no degradation compared with the single GAGG:Ce detector. The Compton continuum and other backgrounds are reduced by identifying the gamma-ray energy depositions in different scintillators using the real-time rise time discrimination (RTD) method. The background rate is suppressed approximately 74%. The peak-to-total (P/T) ratio at 137Cs and 60Co point sources are 0.769 and 0.561, respectively. The Compton suppression is highly efficient at all the energy range of Compton continuums. The reduction of the Compton continuum and other backgrounds and the improvement of the P/T ratio will greatly expand the application range of the GAGG:Ce detector in low-intensity measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SBN program at Fermilab aims to measure ν μ → ν e neutrino oscillations at ∼ 1 km/GeV, resulting from the existence of a sterile neutrino, namely a fourth neutrino mass eigenstate at 1 eV that does not interact weakly but participate at the oscillation phenomenon with the three standard neutrinos. The SBN Far Detector, ICARUS T600, was run at LNGS Lab from 2010 to 2013 as the first and largest LArTPC ever operated. At Fermilab ICARUS is at the surface and therefore a Cosmic Ray Tagger system is necessary in order to reject the cosmic ray background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have combined two low-threshold detector technologies to develop a large-mass, low-threshold detector system that simultaneously measures the athermal phonons in a sapphire detector while an adjacent silicon high-voltage detector detects the scintillation light from the sapphire detector. This detector system could provide event-by-event discrimination between electron and nuclear events due to the difference in their scintillation light yield. While such systems with simultaneous phonon and light detection have been demonstrated earlier with smaller detectors, our system is designed to provide a large detector mass with high amplification for the limited scintillation light. Future work will focus on at least an order of magnitude improvement in the light collection efficiency by having a highly reflective detector housing and custom phonon mask design to maximize light collection by the silicon high-voltage detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly segmented muon spin rotation/relaxation/resonance (μ SR) spectrometer with over 2500 channels has been proposed in the construction of Phase II of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). Plastic scintillators are chosen as the detector material due to their high sensitivity to charged particles and good flexibility to various geometries. Gamma-ray sources are commonly used to calibrate the light yield of plastic scintillators. Accordingly, a derivative method has been developed to efficiently locate the Compton edge in gamma-ray spectra. In this method, the minimum and width of the derivative data are regarded as the position of the Compton edge and an estimation of energy resolution, respectively. Both experiments and simulations demonstrate the good reliability of this method for Compton edge positioning and energy resolution characterization. The derived Compton edge shows a systematic shift to the right of its real location. The relative shift is proportional to the energy resolution with a factor of ∼ 0.13. The assumed energy resolution should be corrected by a factor of ∼ 1.19 which is confirmed by inorganic scintillator measurements. In the measurement of plastic scintillators, the assumed Compton edge and energy resolution can well reproduce the energy response spectra for different types of gamma-ray sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic plastic scintillators are largely exploited for fast timing detectors thanks to their short scintillation time with respect to inorganic crystals. Plastic scintillators are cheap to produce, light and easy to manipulate (any standard mechanical workshop can handle the cutting, polishing, etc.). Nowadays, fastest plastic scintillators available on the market are EJ-232 (Eljen Technology) and BC-422 (Saint Gobain) with a rise time of 350 p s , a decay time of 1. 6 n s and a pulse width of 1. 3 n s. Foreseen the performance improvement of timing detectors based on plastic scintillators, the development of faster scintillators can give a crucial contribution. TOPS is a project focused on the development of a new class of organic scintillators producing several liquid and solid samples. Comparing the light output and the timing properties of the samples exploiting minimum ionising particles, a selection of the highly performing TOPS scintillators has been investigated and characterised. The performance achieved with TOPS samples are extremely promising: a time resolution improvement from 10 up to 35% with respect to the EJ-232 has been demonstrated. In addition, an increase of light output has been obtained for all samples with a consequent potential improvement in energy resolution measurements of a factor up to 35%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) have great potential to replace photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and exceed their performance in positron annihilation parameter-measurement systems. However, due to the limited active area of a single SiPM, it only covers a small γ -ray emission acceptance range and provides position information over a very small region. Using a SiPM array is a good way to overcome these problems. In this study, a resistor-chain-based SiPM detector was designed and evaluated for positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) measurements. This detector uses a 1 × 4 scintillator array, a 1 × 4 SiPM array, and a resistor-chain readout circuit to obtain position, energy, and timing information about 1275 and 511 keV γ -rays, with the readout pulses serving as both the position, energy, and timing signals. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted to assess the detector in terms of position profile, energy resolution, and time resolution. The position profiles showed that all the crystal elements in the lutetium fine silicate scintillator array were clearly resolved. The detector had an energy resolution of 11. 3 ± 0. 9 % and a time resolution of 198 ± 9 ps. A total of 32 PAL spectra were obtained using two SiPM array detectors. The PAL in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) sample was accurately verified using the summed PAL spectrum. The developed SiPM detector provides good performance for PAL measurements and could be used to build a high-performance PAL spectrometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future satellite experiments for cosmic-ray and gamma-ray detection will employ plastic scintillators to discriminate gamma-rays from charged particles and to identify nuclei up to Iron. The High Energy Cosmic Radiation Detector (HERD) facility will be one of those new experiments and it will be installed onboard the Chinese Tiangong Space Station (TSS). The main goal of the HERD experiment is to detect charged cosmic-rays up to PeV and gamma-rays up to hundred GeV s. The plastic scintillator detector (PSD) surrounds the inner detectors on five sides. For energies above a few GeV s a high detector segmentation is required in order to avoid the back-splash effect, due to the interaction between high energy particles and the innermost calorimeter. Each PSD basic element (bar or tile) is coupled to several Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) for the detection of scintillation light. In 2021 we have performed a beam test campaign to test all the subdetectors of the HERD experiment at CERN PS and SPS. We tested two different PSD prototypes, one with a long bar geometry and the other with a squared tile geometry. In both prototypes two scintillating materials (BC-404 and BC-408) were used. Both the prototypes were equipped with SiPMs of two different sizes (MPPC S14160-3050 and S14160-1315) and they were read-out by the CAEN Citiroc-based board DT5550 W. In this work we will describe the PSD design along with the beam test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on laboratory tests performed on the basic unit of a muon detector using cosmic-ray muons. The basic unit consists of a scintillator bar with an optical fiber and two SiPM devices collecting the light signal at both ends of the fiber. The aim of the tests is to determine the temporal resolution of this base unit using the time-of-flight method also taking into account specific requirements for muography applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new characterization of the detector response for the EJ301 liquid scintillator based nSpec system has been conducted at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The new characterization was accomplished in two orders of magnitude less time and with better statistics than the previous characterization. The new and old characterization methods were compared by conducting both types of characterization on two detectors (one EJ301 and one EJ301D). The two methods show consistent results and compare well to results previously published in the literature; however, the results from the characterization of the original nSpec detector show discrepancies that have been identified as being caused by oxygen being absorbed into the detector due to a leak. The new characterized detector response shows improved spectrum unfolding performance than the previous characterization. The cross talk of the detector system was also characterized as a function of incident neutron energy and found to have a negligible impact on spectrum unfolding results. Alternative materials (EJ301D and stilbene) were also characterized in a first step towards an upgraded system. The different materials show little difference in unfolding performance, but the comparison is ongoing. A SiPM based stilbene detector was used to evaluate the use of SiPMs in a future system upgrade. The SiPM provides adequate performance, but the custom SiPM readout results in a much longer pulse width than PMT based systems. The measured light output of the SiPM based stilbene compares well with the results in literature. Future work will look at additional materials (deuterated stilbene and organic glass) and optimizing the SiPM readout to decrease the pulse width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate energy measurement is the precondition for the application of plastic scintillator-based spectrometers in space exploration missions, and appropriate energy calibration methods are very important for plastic scintillators. At the same time, the energy resolution is a key factor in evaluating the performance of spectrometers. In this paper, an energy calibration method that can be used for plastic scintillators is proposed, and the energy resolution calibration results were also obtained in the process. The key of the method is to focus on the accurate energy prediction of the reference points in the Compton Continuum by using the Monte Carlo energy spectrum matching method. In the calibration process, the experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations of 22Na and 137Cs were carried out, and the shapes of the obtained spectra were matched by a certain energy resolution model. By shape matching, the Monte Carlo simulations provided energies of reference points, and the experiments provided their corresponding channel numbers. Then the parameters of the energy calibration model were obtained by fitting with multiple reference points' paired data. Moreover, the backscattering experiments with 131I, 137Cs, and 232Th sources were executed to equivalently provide monoenergetic electrons to verify the energy calibration and energy resolution model parameters obtained for the EJ254 spectrometer. The accuracy was high in the energy range of 341 ∼ 2381.6 keV, the maximum bias of the energy was −4.7 keV (@2381.6 keV), and the maximum bias of the energy resolution model was 4.7% (@341 keV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ce-doped GAGG (Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Garnet: Gd 3 Al 2 Ga 3 O 12) scintillator crystal has been coupled with a multianode position sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT). The system is made compact by employing an external resistive network that reduces the 64 readouts of the PSPMT to only four signals. The resulting GAGG(Ce)-PSPMT setup has been put to use for quick scanning of γ -ray detectors by reconstructing the image of the latter with coincident photons between the pair of detectors. In the present work, such scans are demonstrated for an old single-crystal coaxial reverse-electrode HPGe detector as well as an old clover HPGe detector. For the single-crystal HPGe, the growth of the effective depleted region under increasing reverse-bias voltages has been visualized from the image reconstruction. The active volume is seen to grow from the surface towards the axial cavity. For the clover HPGe detector, dysfunctional portions in the crystals could be identified. The experimental results are found to agree well with simulation carried out using the GEANT4 toolkit. Scanning a detector using this method is faster compared to the scanning process by a point source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the detectors with superior performances, the Compton continuum in the spectra of the Cerium-doped Lanthanum 3-Bromide (LaBr 3 :Ce) detector should be suppressed for better performances. A compacted LaBr 3 :Ce/NaI:Tl phoswich detector has been designed to reduce the Compton continuum and improve the peak-to-total (P/T) ratio of the photopeaks. The LaBr 3 :Ce scintillator is surrounded by a well-type NaI:Tl scintillator and is coupled to a single photomultiplier tube (PMT). The Compton continuum is reduced by identifying the gamma-ray energy depositions in different scintillators using the real-time rise time discrimination (RTD) method. A Geant4 code with actual geometry was performed to simulate the suppressed and unsuppressed spectra. The peak efficiency of total energy at 1332 keV and 662 keV is 1.58% and 2.75%, the peak to total ratio at 137Cs point source and 60Co point source are 0.545 and 0.367, respectively. The reduction of the Compton continuum and the improvement of the P/T ratio will greatly expand the application range of the LaBr 3 : Ce detector in low-intensity measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquefied noble gases are widely used as detector media in various physics experiments owing to their high scintillation efficiency and ease of scalability to large volumes. Now-a-days, these experiments are gradually shifting to SiPM-based readouts because of their high photon detection efficiency, superior resolution, and relative ease of use. However, SiPMs emit photons during the avalanche process, known as optical cross-talk, which can significantly affect the measured signal. In this work, we present two small single-phase liquid argon chambers equipped with SiPM arrays. They display high gross light yields up to 32 photo-electrons per keV, with ∼ 12 attributed to primary photo-electrons generated by scintillation photons. We then present the full parametrization of the over-voltage dependence of the light yield, energy resolution, and optical cross-talk, based on dedicated measurements of optical cross-talk components and a simple analytical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present two novel beam monitors designed for use in current PSI muon beams and upgradable for the High Intensity Muon Beam (HIMB) project beamlines: the scintillating fibre (SciFi) detector, a grid of scintillating fibres coupled to SiPMs, and the MatriX detector, a matrix of plastic scintillators coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), both detectors having particle ID capability. The advantage of these highly segmented detectors is the capability to withstand the high beam rate and to perform total beam rate measurements. Furthermore, the use of the SiPM as a photosensor enables operation of these detectors in high magnetic field environments (up to 1. 25 T). Both detectors have been tested in the beam at PSI and with continuous beam rates up to 1 0 8 μ + /s. The performance of these detectors as measured on the beamlines are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MEG II experiment is searching for new physics beyond the SM (e.g. SUSY-GUT, SUSY-seesaw) through the lepton flavor violating μ + → e + γ decay with ten times better sensitivity than the MEG experiment. The MEG collaboration published the result of B (μ + → e + γ) < 4. 2 × 1 0 − 13 at 90% C.L. in 2016, which was thirty times better result than the previous limit. As the sensitivity of the MEG experiment was already limited by the accidental background, the MEG detector had to be upgraded to reach one order of magnitude better sensitivity. The MEG experiment utilized 846 2 inch PMTs to detect scintillation light in a 900 l liquid xenon γ calorimeter. In the MEG II experiment, 216 2 inch PMTs on the γ incident face were replaced with 4092 MPPCs (SiPMs produced by Hamamatsu) to improve the energy and position resolutions. We started the detector commissioning with the full electronics readout channels for the first time in 2021, and soon after, we started the physics data taking. Here the LXe detector status including initial photon sensor calibration and performance will be summarized together with the expected detector performance. The PDE decrease of the SiPM observed in the high rate muon beam environment and our possible remedy will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a novel optical method for selecting new liquid compounds for scintillation detectors. This method consists in the evaluation of the optical properties of the compounds and the definition of parameters quantifying their emission yield, based on the study of the scintillation spectra. It is a comparative method as it allows the choice of the best liquid scintillator among many through a step-by-step selection based on: (1) the fluorescence spectra of the matrix, (2) the fluorescence spectra of the matrix with a dye, (3) the Ion Beam Induced Luminescence spectra of the matrix with different dye percentages. We used the proposed method to identify new liquids which may be suitable for neutron detection. This work shows the results of this application: a new organic non-toxic and non-flammable liquid scintillator has been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the present work is to develop a time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET) detector system with 100 picosecond (ps) coincidence time resolution (CTR) using arrays of 20 mm length scintillator crystal elements. If successful, this would yield a 1.5-fold better reconstructed image signal to noise ratio (SNR) compared to state-of-the-art clinical TOF-PET systems. The proposed detector configuration comprises LGSO scintillation crystal elements optically coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) which are read out by a fast, high precision, multi-channel amplifier/comparator integrated circuit (IC). Results obtained with that IC were compared with those achieved using a high-frequency (HF) readout, comprising discrete element readout for each detector channel. CTR values of 89.6 ± 0.8 ps and 105.1 ± 0.9 ps FWHM were achieved with the HF readout for 3 × 3 × 3 mm3 and 3 × 3 × 10 mm3 LGSO crystals, respectively, and 92.8 ± 0.9 ps and 114.1 ± 1.1 ps FWHM were achieved using the IC board for the same crystal elements. These results demonstrate the capabilities of a scalable IC readout solution for a 100 ps CTR TOF-PET design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize the discrimination of β particles and γ photons in complex environments, a phoswich detector based on the pulse shape discrimination method was designed. The scintillators EJ-260 and CsI(Tl) are selected for deposition of β particles and γ photons, respectively. The size of the detector was determined by simulating the detector by the Monte Carlo program G eant 4. The detector was assembled for testing, and the pulses were collected using a high-frequency digital capture card. After smoothing the pulse and correcting the rise time, the respective energy spectra of β particles and γ photons in the mixed environment were obtained. The figure of merit value of phoswich detector was 6.35, which can effectively discriminate β particles and γ photons. Results indicate the phoswich detector can be used for the β − γ discrimination in the mixed fields and obtain the respective energy spectrum. • A phoswich detector based on the pulse shape discrimination method was designed. • The size of the detector was determined by simulating the detector by the Monte Carlo program GEANT4. • The respective energy spectra of β particles and γ photons in the mixed environment were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of this paper, based on the symmetry of regular icosahedron, a spherical detector system for 4 π field-of-view (FOV) gamma imaging was proposed based on 80 GAGG (Ce:GAGG, Gd3Al2Ga3O12) scintillator pixels. The spherical detector system combines both coded aperture (CA) and Compton imaging (CI) modalities. The detector system was simulated precisely with an experimental test of one representative GAGG pixel. Several radionuclides with characteristic energy ranging from 59.5 keV to 1.33 MeV were imaged under the far-field situation. Both imaging modes realize the 4 π view while the coded aperture method achieves a higher image quality for radioactive sources with lower energy and the Compton method performs conversely. The imaging system can localize a 10 mCi 137Cs point source at 10 m within 1 s in the two modes and the Compton imaging mode reaches a high detection efficiency of up to 200 cps/ μ Sv/h for 137Cs. And the angular estimation full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) was approximately 5.2°for coded aperture mode and 14°for Compton mode. The angular resolution was evaluated to be better than 30°. The high intrinsic imaging sensitivity and reasonable imaging quality make this detector system design attractive for far-field radiation imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) is mainly designed to detect Gamma-Ray Bursts associated with gravitational wave events. The lanthanum bromide (LaBr 3) scintillator with two types of doping (5% Ce 3 + only, 5% Ce 3 + co-doped with 1.5% Sr 2 +) are used in the Gamma-Ray Detectors (GRDs) of GECAM. Here, by analyzing the on-ground calibration data, we find different characteristics of these two doping types of LaBr 3 scintillator, including the Energy-Channel (E-C) relation, photon non-proportional response, energy resolution, as well as the electron non-proportional response which is derived from photon response and Monte Carlo simulation with Bayesian inference method. The results also show that the photon scintillation light yield and energy resolution can be improved by co-doping Sr 2 + in LaBr 3 :Ce 3 + scintillator, owing to a direct inhibitory effect on the electron non-proportional response. By taking the electron non-proportional response into account, we find that the simulated spectrum is in good agreement with the measured one, including Compton structure, escape peak of Lanthanum and Bromine as well as full energy peak, indicating that the electron non-proportional response is an essential factor in the energy response of scintillator detector thus should be considered in the data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muography has a wide range of applications especially in the cross-disciplinary area. It is a powerful tool to probe the internal composition of objects in a non-destructive way. To achieve the goal of muography, it is essential to track muons as precisely as possible. We designed a cosmic muon tracking detector MuGrid using plastic scintillators. In this work, we present the preliminary progress of the MuGrid detector and its demonstrator, including the data acquisition system, characterization of plastic scintillators and Monte Carlo modeling of MuGrid. We also analyzed its detection efficiency, angular resolution, and provided a comparison of back-projection images of simulation and observation in an open environment. A case study is conducted in a tunnel as a validation of the whole system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large area plastic scintillator detector system with SiPM read out has been prepared in order to improve the trigger selectivity for reaction studies induced by an intense proton beam with a beam momentum of several GeV/c. The system consists of six trapezoidal modules, each with three plastic scintillator elements that are each equipped with 12 SiPMs. The detection of a charged particle is based on registering coincident signals in several SiPMs. By requiring a signal on at least two of the SiPMs, the noise rate is negligible and a detection efficiency close to 100% is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]