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The zero-dimensional copper halide perovskite Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 displays extraordinary luminescence and scintillation characteristics, and high-quality crystals are extremely desirable for exploring the commercial applications. Currently, the most critical issue in the solution growth of Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 crystals is the easy oxidation of halides, which significantly hinders the optimization of crystal qualities. The hypophosphorous acid (H 3 PO 2) has been applied to inhibit the oxidation, nevertheless, the related mechanism is elusive and has been largely ignored. Herein, Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 crystals have been grown from N, N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent by the antisolvent vapor-assisted crystallization (AVC) method. It is verified that H 3 PO 2 effectively prevents the oxidation of Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 by rapidly reducing Cu2+ and I 3 −, maintaining the stability of the precursor solution and continuously suppressing oxidation during the whole growth process. Meanwhile, by increasing the acidity of the solution, H 3 PO 2 dissolve precursor colloids and efficiently enhance the solubility of halides. Thus, the addition of H 3 PO 2 favors the rapid growth of centimeter-sized Cs 3 Cu 2 I 5 crystals with well-defined crystallographic planes within several days. As excellent gamma ray scintillator, the crystal exhibits high light yield of 38000 photons/MeV, with energy resolution of 5.6 % under 662 keV radiation from a 137Cs source. This work deeply elucidates new insight into the critical effect of H 3 PO 2 in the DMF based solution crystal growth, facilitating the preparation of large-size and high-performance copper halide perovskite crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance and low-cost metal halide perovskite scintillator materials have important applications in X-ray detection and imaging. However, large-sized perovskite scintillator panel with high transmittance, low toxicity and long-term stability is still lacking. Herein, Eu2+ doped cesium alkaline earth chloride nanocrystals (Eu2+: CsCaCl 3 , Eu2+: CsSrCl 3 , and Eu2+: Cs 2 BaCl 4 NCs) embedded in glasses through conventional melt-quenching and subsequent heat-treatment were developed. These NCs doped glasses exhibited highly efficient and narrowband photoluminescence in blue region. Benefitting from the large X-ray absorption coefficient and high photoluminescence quantum yied, these Eu2+: CsCaCl 3 NCs doped glass scintillator shows light yield of ∼9300 photons/MeV, detection limit of ∼213.8 μGy/s, and spatial resolution of 30.0 lp/mm. These results demonstrated that glasses containing Eu2+ doped cesium alkaline earth chloride nanocrystals are promising for X-ray detection and imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray excited radioluminescence was demonstrated in Pr-doped lithium niobate polycrystalline samples with varying lithium-to-niobium ratios (R LN). The samples' phase structures, excitation and emission spectra, and radioluminescence were experimentally analyzed to investigate the tuning effects of R LN. Theoretical calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, and thermoluminescence curves were measured to verify the predictions of the theoretical analysis. We suggest that both photoluminescence and radioluminescence properties can be effectively tailored by adjusting the crystal structure, as well as the depth and density of electron traps within the LiNbO 3 :Pr matrix through R LN modulation. This research contributes to the development and practical implementation of scintillation materials derived from rare-earth-doped lithium niobate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of scintillation-causing ionospheric irregularities is important to mitigate their effects on satellite communications. It is also important due to the spatial and temporal variability of these irregularities, given that their characteristics differ from one region to another. This study investigates the spatial and temporal characteristics of L1 amplitude scintillation-causing ionospheric irregularities over the Eastern Arabian Peninsula during the ascending phase of solar cycle 25 (years 2020–2023). The temporal occurrences of weak and strong scintillation were separated by sunset, with weak scintillation observed predominantly pre-sunset during the winter solstice and strong scintillation observed mainly post-sunset during the autumnal equinox. Strong scintillation was much more pronounced in 2023 compared to the other three years, indicating a strong influence of solar activity. Spatially, weak-scintillation-causing irregularities exhibited a wide distribution in azimuth and elevation, while strong-scintillation-causing irregularities were concentrated southwards. The combined analysis of S4 and rate of total electron content index (ROTI) suggested that small-scale ionospheric irregularities were present in both pre- and post-sunset periods, while large-scale irregularities were only seen during the post-sunset period. Furthermore, the presence of southward traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) during the 2023 autumnal equinox was confirmed with the total electron content anomaly (Δ TEC), while the Ionospheric Bubble Index (IBI) provided by the Swarm mission was unable to confirm the presence of equatorial plasma bubbles during the same period. Observations from the FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 mission indicated that strong-scintillation-causing irregularities were more prevalent under the F2-layer peak, while the weak-scintillation-causing irregularities were mostly observed at the E-layer, F2-layer, and above the F2-layer. This study aims to contribute insights into the behavior of scintillation-causing ionospheric irregularities in the region, with implications for future research during the peak of the 25th solar cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Lu 1−x Sc x) 2 O 3 :Eu transparent ceramics (TC) were fabricated using vacuum sintering followed by heat isostatic pressure (HIP). The study explored the impact of variations in ceramic composition on the overall properties. The results revealed that a Sc concentration of 10 at. percent yielded a grain size of 3.91 µm and optimal ceramic transmittance, reaching 80.25% and 76.45% at wavelengths of 1000 nm and 611 nm wavelength, respectively. The Sc3+ concentration significantly influenced the scintillation properties of the material, with the highest transparency achieved at x = 0.1. Excessive or insufficient Sc3+ content led to reduced sample transparency. Additionally, Sc3+ concentration had a pronounced effect on the scintillation efficiency. When comparing X-ray excitation emission spectra for various ratios, it was determined that at x = 0.01, the scintillation properties exhibited approximately 6 times greater performance than those of BGO crystal samples. This represents a substantial improvement, an improvement of approximately 20% over Eu:Lu 2 O 3 without Sc incorporation. • The transmittance of Lu 2 O 3 :Eu transparent ceramics can be greatly improved by the introduction of Sc 2 O 3 , which can reaching 80.25% at 1000 nm wavelength. • The solid solution of (Lu 1−x Sc x) 2 O 3 :Eu was found for the first time with excellent property of the light yield, which was approximately 6 times greater than those of BGO crystal samples, and roughly a 20% enhancement over Eu:Lu 2 O 3 without Sc incorporation. • The doping of Sc 2 O 3 can slightly decrease the afterglow intensity of Lu 2 O 3 :5%Eu transparent ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid advancements in medical radiography, nondestructive inspection, and radiation detection, there is an increasing demand for scintillators that offer both cost-effectiveness and high-resolution X-ray imaging. In this study, we have successfully synthesized transparent glass-ceramic scintillator by embedding Tb3+-doped NaLu 2 F 7 nanocrystals in a glass matrix. This scintillator demonstrates excellent spatial resolution of 20 lp/mm in X-ray imaging due to its high transmittance (over 90% at 550 nm) and intense luminescent intensity when excited by X-ray (151% higher than that of the Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 scintillator). More significantly, the as-synthesized scintillator exhibits exceptional stabilities at high temperature, moisture levels, and moderate radiation exposure. Notably, any decline in performance caused by long-term exposure to high-dose X-ray can be fully recovered through heat treatment at 350 °C for 30 min. These findings highlight the great potential of NaLu 2 F 7 :Tb3+ glass ceramics as suitable options for high-resolution and retrievable X-ray imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large size (4 cm × 4 cm × 1 cm) Ce3+-doped high gadolinium oxyfluoride glass with density of 5.83 g/cm³ was prepared by the melt quench method at 1220 °C. The glass is colorless and transparent over the visible range. The prolonged decay time under 275 nm UV light demonstrates the energy transfer from Gd3+ ions to Ce3+ ions. The X-ray excited luminescence spectra (XEL) show the emission peak corresponds to the 5d→4f transitions of Ce3+ ion. The integral emission intensity of glass was compared with that of bismuth germanate oxide (BGO) crystals. The scintillation property of glass was studied under the γ -ray from 137Cs source and a clear energy peak was observed with light yield (LY) over 1100 ph/MeV. The scintillation decay time comprises fast and slow components. All results presented in this work indicate the appropriate potential to be high-energy rays detecting material for CEPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), particularly those that are highly doped, possess outstanding properties and have demonstrated tremendous application potential. However, novel fine-tuning strategies are urgently required to enhance the upconversion luminescence (UCL) performance of UCNPs. In this study, a series of core–multishell UCNPs highly doped with Ho3+ and Yb3+ ions were synthesized via the oleate route. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UCL spectra and decay times, and pump power dependency of the synthesized UCNPs were used to examine their morphology, size, and the UCL properties. Ce3+ ions were introduced to enhance Ho3+-based red UCL, and their doping strategy was also optimized based on summarized UCL trends and detailed UCL mechanism analysis. NaHoF 4 :Gd3+@NaGdF 4 :Yb3+,Ce3+@NaGdF 4 :Yb3+ UCNPs that had 10 mol% Ce3+ dopants in their middle shells exhibited better UCL properties than the larger traditional NaGdF 4 :Yb3+,Ce3+,Ho3+ UCNPs, probably because of the combined influence of the energy interactions between the Ce3+ ions and surface groups, sensitizing energy enhancement by active shells, and the positive cooperation between the Ce3+ ions and highly-doped core–shell structures. In this study, the phenomenon of UCL decrease resulting from Ce3+ ion doping was explored. Using unique core–multishell structures with highly-doped activators and sensitizers placed within and outside the structures, respectively, the UCL decrease due to Ce3+ ion doping was attributed to a competition for photons. Doping the UCNPs with Ce3+ ions near the UCNP surfaces favors Ho3+-based red UCL. Our study findings can deepen the understanding of the Ho3+-based UCL mechanisms and increase the potential uses of NaHoF 4 materials in photo-induced therapy. When Ce3+ ions are doped near the nanoparticle surface, they might have energy interactions with surface groups to relieve phonon energy shortage and thus enhance the efficiency of cross-relaxation between Ho3+ and Ce3+ ions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc- w LEDs) are current research hotspot. To meet simultaneously the requirements of high chemical/thermal stability and color-rendering index (CRI), low correlated color temperature (CCT) for actual application is still not be perfectly achieved. Herein, we studied for the first time the incorporation of Ce3+ (blue-emitting) and Mn2+ (orange/red emission) into the dibarium magnesium phosphate ceramic (Ba 2 Mg(PO 4) 2 , BMP) for packaging of pc- w LEDs via remote 'capping' approach, which exhibits highly efficient color-tunable photoluminescence (PL) with splendid chemical/thermal stability, single-phase/full-color-PL, efficient energy transfer (ET). To reduce the impact of heterovalent substitution (Ba2+ ← Ce3+), the monovalent (Li+, Na+, K+) ion, respectively tridoped in BMP: Ce/Mn and played both roles as flux and charge compensator, were also studied/compared on the basis of PL efficiency, where Na+ is the most effective because of the lowest electronegativity mismatch between the Ba2+ and Na+. An alkaline-earth-metal-ion blending strategy via partial replacement of Ba2+ with Sr2+ was implemented to further regulate PL and obtain better parameters of CCT/CRI due to the variations of crystal field splitting. The site occupations of Ce/Na/Sr in Ba sites (CN = 8 and 7) and Mn in Mg site (CN = 6) were based on the comparisons of ion radius and confirmed by XRD/Rietveld analyses, where Ce/Na/Sr ions gave priority to occupy the Ba site with CN = 8 due to their much closer ion radius. Altogether, the stably composition-optimized BMP: Ce/Mn/Na/Sr has great potential application as a single-component color-tunable phosphor in n -UV pumped pc- w LEDs. The pc- w LED fabricated via remote 'capping' approach by combination of a n -UV chip with BMP: Ce/Mn/Na/Sr phosphor through Ce to Mn ET with the help of charge compensator of Na and the alkaline-earth-metal-ions blending by Ba/Sr replacement. [Display omitted] • Ce/Sr/Na occupied at Ba sites while Mn sited in Mg sites. • ET occurs efficiently from Ce to Mn. • Na + acts as charge balancer to improve PL efficiency. • Replacing partial Ba by Sr could regulate PL and improve ET efficiency. • pc- w LED via ' n -UV LED + white-emitting BMP: Ce/Mn/Na/Sr' is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CeBr 3 and NaI (Tl) scintillators characterized with array of Silicon Photomultipliers. • Energy resolution improves with lower shaping time and higher SiPM over-voltage. • Temperature dependency of gain of SiPM array: ∼−0.81 %/°C for overvoltage of 2.5 Volts. • Temperature dependency of light yield for CeBr 3 : ∼−0.27 %/°C for −31 °C to +26 °C. • Temperature dependency of light yield for NaI (Tl): ∼+0.5 %/°C for −31 °C to +26 °C. Interaction of X-rays with a scintillation detector produces optical photons in the visible range. The spectral and spatial information of the X-ray can be derived by detecting these output photons using a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM). Two types of detector modules: CeBr 3 and NaI (Tl), coupled with an array of SiPM are presented here, which are being developed for the future space exploration programs. The development of the front end electronics (FEE) for the charge readout from SiPM for X-ray spectrometer application is presented here which is characterized for SiPM's over-voltages and shaping amplifier's time constant. In this article, both the detector modules are subjected to a wide temperature range to establish a relationship of the SiPM's gain, energy resolution and scintillators' output photon yield with ambient temperature. The test results show that energy resolution improves with higher over-voltage of SiPM and also with lower operating temperature. The gain of the SiPM array shows negative temperature dependence of ∼−0.81 %/°C for an over-voltage of 2.5 Volts. To derive the temperature dependency of scintillators' output photons, gain of the SiPM array was made constant by operating it at a fixed over-voltage for a wide temperature range. With the constant gain of SiPM, CeBr 3 scintillator shows negative temperature coefficient of ∼−0.27 %/°C and NaI (Tl) shows positive temperature coefficient of ∼+0.5 %/°C for the light output in the temperature range of −31 °C to +26 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasi-zero-dimensional quantum dots (QDs) have garnered significant attention owing to their distinct structural attributes, quantum confinement behaviors, optoelectronic characteristics, etc. Regrettably, their susceptibility to stability poses a challenge. In this context, leveraging rational component regulation and crystallization process optimization strategies, we presented the successful preparation of CdS QDs silicate glass through the amalgamation of melt-quenching and controlled crystallization. The optical and morphological analysis substantiated the accomplishment of in-situ precipitation of CdS QDs within the glass matrix, with grain sizes <20 nm. Integrating CdS QDs into an inorganic glass matrix remarkably augmented its fluorescence thermal stability, enabling the preservation of 85.1 % of the room-temperature luminescent intensity even at an elevated temperature of 150 °C. Moreover, the encapsulated W-LED device by near-UV LED chip, CdS QDs glass, and BaMgAl 10 O 17 :Eu2+ phosphor exhibited a warm white-light emission characterized by suitable chromaticity coordinates (0.3741, 0.3452) and a notably high color rendering index (CRI = 93). Ultimately, the radioluminescence behavior of CdS QDs glass was unveiled by utilizing it as the scintillator wafer in an X-ray imaging system, which clearly demonstrated the structure of spring encapsulated within an opaque capsule. In a nutshell, these demonstrations unequivocally emphasize the substantial potential merits of CdS QDs glass, particularly in the domains of long-term W-LED lighting and X-ray imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scintillators, owing to their exceptional ability to convert high-energy ionizing radiation into visible light, are the core component of X-ray radiography. However, conventional single-crystal scintillators are inadequate to satisfy the modern social and scientific demands. So, the development of novel scintillator materials is imminent. Herein, a series of Na 5 Lu 9- x Gd x F 32 :Ce3+ glass-ceramics (GCs) scintillators were elaborated by an exercisable and low-cost method. Benefiting from the proper introduction of Al powder and Gd3+, as well as the crystallization of Na 5 Lu 9- x Gd x F 32 nanocrystal (NCs) after heat treatment, luminescence excited by ultraviolet and X-ray of the sample is enhanced significantly. The integrated X-ray excited luminescence intensity of the representative sample can reach up to 128% of that of Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12. More importantly, the sample has excellent irradiation stability that is almost undamaged even exposed to high-energy X-ray radiation. Finally, satisfactory X-ray imaging based on the resultant sample was realized. The spatial resolution is as high as 14 lp mm−1, which exceeds that of many novel perovskite scintillators. Thus, this investigation promotes the development of low-cost, stable and high-performing Ce3+-activated GCs scintillators. • Three effective ways were designed to improve the scintillating property of the sample. • The integrated X-ray excited luminescence reaches 128% of that of Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12. • The sample is undamaged even excited by high-power (12 W) X-ray, infering outstanding irradiation stability. • Satisfactory X-ray imaging based on the sample was achieved. • The spatial resolution reaches 14 lp mm−1, exceeding that of many perovskite scintillators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, highly (Y 0.99−x Gd x Sm 0.01) 2 O 3 transparent ceramics with varying Gd3+ content (x = 0–0.1) was successfully fabricated by vacuum sintering. The effect of the Gd3+ content on the structural, mechanical and optical properties of the Y 2 O 3 ceramics were systematically investigated. The prepared transparent ceramics have high optical quality with an in-line transmittance of 75.16%− 81.44% at 610 nm (4G 5/2 →6H 9/2 transitions of Sm3+). Mechanical properties, including Vickers hardness (HV), are also evidently enhanced by solid solution strengthening. Photoluminescence properties of ceramics including excitation spectra, emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes are systematically investigated. Notably, the photoluminescence properties of the ceramics, including excitation spectra, emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes, confirm the existence of energy transfer (ET) from Gd3+ to Sm3+ ions and provide a qualitative understanding of the ET process. The efficiency of ET between Gd3+ and Sm3+ emission centers was found to increase with higher Gd3+ concentration. This work may provide guidance on the design, preparation and application of Gd-doped transparent ceramic scintillators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Er3+ doped high density germanate glasses with compositions of 50GeO 2 -10BaO–10Al 2 O 3 -15Lu 2 O 3 -(15-x) La 2 O 3 -xEr 2 O 3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0, in mol%) have been prepared by the melt-quenching method. The optical and physical properties of the samples were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), density, transmittance spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) spectra. The densities were in the range from 5.90 to 6.07 g/cm3. The strong green emissions around 552 nm of Er3+ were observed upon the excitations of 378 nm light and the X-ray, and the lifetimes of 552 nm emission were in the range of 20.88–96.47 μs. The results show that Er3+ doped high density germanate glasses could be used as potential scintillators for X-ray CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) usually face problems such as lack of red emission, color difference caused by different degradation rates of multiphase phosphors and the poor thermal stability of the organic encapsulants. The development of new single-phase phosphors and glass can solve these problems well. Sr 3 B 14 O 24 :RE3+ (RE = Ce, Tb, Sm, Eu) phosphors and glass were synthesized by solid-phase method. The obtained Sr 3 B 14 O 24 :RE3+ (RE = Ce, Tb, Sm, Eu) samples showed multicolor emission including blue, green, orange and red, respectively. The optimal excitation wavelength of these samples was located in the blue or ultraviolet (UV) light regions, which were well matched with the blue-violet light chips to manufacture WLEDs. More interestingly, UV absorption was found in Sr 3 B 14 O 24 :Ce3+/4+ glass samples. The doping of dual-valence cerium ions could enhance the shielding performance in the light of inferences drawn from the UV-Vis absorption and transmission spectra of glass samples. By co-doping different concentrations of Cs+ ions in Sr 3 B 14 O 24 :Ce3+/4+ glass samples, the function of near infrared (NIR) shielding was also realized. As a new optical multifunctional material, rare earth doped Sr 3 B 14 O 24 have great potential for application in WLEDs, UV and NIR shielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 (NVP) has attracted much attention due to its excellent potential for sodium storage property. However, low electronic and ionic conductivities severely limit further development. Herein, a dimensional gradient structure of Ce/Mo co-doped and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enwrapped Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 /C–CeO 2 @CNTs system is constructed by a facile sol-gel method for the first time. The much larger Ce3+ can be used as the pillar ions to buffer the crystal deformation and enhance the structural stability. Moreover, the high charge and strong self-polarization ability of Ce can suppress the increase of charge transfer resistance during the charge/discharge process, which is beneficial to improve the electrochemical performance. Meanwhile, the doping of high-valent Mo6+ generates beneficial vacancies to elevate the Na + diffusion kinetics. The presence of encapsulated CNTs inhibits particle growth, optimizing particle size and shortening ion delivery paths. Significantly, a new conductive CeO 2 phase is clearly identified combining with carbon layers to construct favorable bilayer conductive networks, which effectively facilitate electronic transport. Thus, the modified Na 3 V 1.79 Ce 0.07 Mo 0.07 (PO 4) 3 /C@CNTs (CeMo0.07@CNTs) exhibits a reversible capacity of 110.3 mAh g−1 at 1C, with 91% retention after 1000 cycles. It releases a capacity of 74.9 mAh g−1 at 30C and maintains at 73.9 mAh g−1 after 12000 cycles with a high retention rate of 98.7%. Furthermore, a high retention rate of 83.2% can be obtained after cycling 15000 cycles at 80C, corresponding to a low decay rate of 0.0011% each cycle. In addition, the CHC//CeMo0.07@CNTs asymmetric full cell reveals high specific capacity of 91.59 mAh g−1, demonstrating its excellent practical prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alpha-particle targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) has been actively investigated for cancer treatment, and astatine-211 (211At) is one of the promising alpha-particle emitters. To evaluate the efficacy of radioactive pharmaceuticals, it is necessary to understand the 211At distribution in a body to accurately assess radiation dose in the targeted cells. In this study, an X-ray imaging camera was developed to investigate an in vivo 211At imaging technique for the alpha-particle TRT, especially to apply for small animal investigations. The design of the X-ray imaging camera was optimized to measure Po K X-rays (77–92 keV) emitted during 211At decay. It comprised a monolithic NaI(Tl) scintillator, a position-sensitive photomultiplier, and a tungsten pinhole collimator. The intrinsic performance evaluation of the position-sensitive X-ray detector exhibited good energy resolution, spatial resolution, and response uniformity. Using point-like 211At sources, the 211At distribution was successfully obtained by the X-ray camera with a useful field-of-view of 20.4 × 20.4 mm2, a system spatial resolution of 1.6 mm, and a sensitivity of 2.4 × 10−4, equivalent to 101 cps/MBq, on the collimator axis at a 12.5 mm distance. This study demonstrated the imaging capability of 211At with high sensitivity and spatial resolution by the X-ray imaging camera with a pinhole collimator. • An X-ray imaging detector was investigated for 211At imaging in alpha-particle TRT. • 211At distribution was obtained using a scintillator-based X-ray pinhole camera. • A spatial resolution of less than a few mm was achieved for close targets. • The proposed system is applicable to 211At imaging in small animal experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaI:Tl single crystals codoped with 6LiI have been considered as promising neutron-gamma scintillators due to low cost, scalability, and high efficiency in detecting and discriminating neutrons and gamma-rays. This study aims to study the effects of 6LiF and 6LiCl codoping on the NaI:Tl single crystals grown by the multi-ampoule Bridgman method. The impact of 6LiF and 6LiCl on the optical properties, gamma spectroscopy, and pulse shape discrimination (PSD) of neutron and gamma detection performance were analyzed. Both ⁶LiF and ⁶LiCl caused a decrease in gamma-ray light yield and a deterioratrion of energy resolution with increasing codoping concentrations, similar to the scenarios of ⁶LiI codoping. Nonetheless, for NaI:Tl,6LiF, the light yield and PSD Figure-of-Merit (FoM) are almost unchanged about 37,500 photons/MeV and 4.6 when the Li content reaches 2 at%, which is better than the scenario of 6LiI codoping. Combing with the advantages of non-hygroscopic nature of LiF and a higher utilization yield of Li element in LiF comparing with LiI, NaI:Tl,6LiF single crystals could be regarded as more cost-effective scintillators for neutron detection applications. • High-quality NaI:Tl crystals codoped with 6LiCl and 6LiF were grown by the Bridgman method. • 6LiF codoped NaI:Tl can achieve decent n-γ discrimination capability with a PSD FoM of 4.6. • Introducing 6LiCl will cause a decrease in scintillation yield, energy resolution, and PSD FoM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the halide perovskite material Cs 2 LiLuCl 6 using both density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) approaches. Our analysis focuses on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of the material, conducted with the Quantum Espresso code. In order to confirm the structural stability of the material, we performed various tests including analysis of elastic constants, formation energy, tolerance factor, and phonon dispersion. Employing the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U, we determine that the material behaves as an insulator with a direct band gap of 5.3042 eV and 5.4245 eV, respectively. Additionally, DFT+U calculations were performed to study the dielectric function, reflectivity, absorption coefficient, and refractive index, revealing a high transmittance rate exceeding 90%. Under ideal conditions, the upper light yield (LYsc) is estimated to be 75 411 ph/MeV and 73 739 ph/MeV for the DFT and DFT+U methods, respectively. These results, along with the presence of lithium in Cs 2 LiLuCl 6 , highlight its potential for use in scintillation-based thermal-neutron detection applications. • Cs2LiLuCl6 is stable in a cubic structure as shown by its formation energy and phonon data. • Cs2LiLuCl6 exhibits insulating behavior with a direct band gap. • The material has high UV emissivity, improving scintillation applications. • Cs2LiLuCl6 achieves 75,411 photons/MeV (DFT) and 73,739 photons/MeV (DFT+U). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research team has developed new plastic scintillators in the form of microspheres, called PSm, by combining styrene, 9-vinylcarbazole (VK), and 4-vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC). The primary objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of incorporating the fluorescent solute (VK) into the polymer structure to prevent its leaching out when PSm are utilized in liquid flow through detection systems or organic solvents. The secondary aim was to examine the impact of adding the chlorine functional group to the scintillation polymer, with the intention of replacing it with an extractant in the future to create covalently linked PSresins. The findings of the study reveal that the homopolymer of polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) performs poorly while used as a unitary scintillator system for plastic scintillation measurements. However, the incorporation of monomers in the form of copolymers with styrene has a more significant impact on scintillation properties compared to the mixture of homopolymers. In the case of 9-vinylcarbazole (VK), its presence at a weight proportion of 10% leads to an increase in scintillation efficiencies, although it is still inferior to the classical PS. Conversely, the situation is different for 4-vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC), where the chlorine in the copolymer results in higher quenching, and the polymer is also less resistant to organic solvents due to the formation of short polymer chains. For VBC, the mixture of polymers yields better results and enables the production of covalently linked PSresins. [Display omitted] • Vinylcarbazole may act as fluor for scintillation if copolymerized with styrene in a 10% proportion. • P(ST-VBC) scintillating copolymers are highly affected by quenching. • P(ST-VBC) copolymers are structurally weak and become dissolve in methanol. • Cl-moiety can be included in scintillators by mixing PS and PVBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the impact of zenith angle variations on cosmic-ray induced background in High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometers using a coincidence technique based on plastic scintillator-Germanium detectors. We utilize an HPGe detector (Model GC2018 Mirion Ge Detector) enclosed within a low-activity cylindrical lead shield (Model 747E Mirion Lead Shield). For cosmic ray detection, a coincidence detection system with plastic scintillator detectors was positioned on top of the lead shielding. The zenith angle at the Germanium detector is computed using the dimensions of the square plastic scintillator and its distance from the Germanium detector center. We carried out measurements of cosmic-ray induced background in an HPGe gamma spectrometer with a square plastic configuration (80cm x 80cm), equivalent to a 45° zenith angle. The experimental measurements were compared with GEANT4 simulation data. The results demonstrate a good agreement between the measured energy spectrum and the simulated data across the energy range of 0.05 to 47 MeV. Further investigations into the effects of varying zenith angles provide valuable insights for optimizing HPGe spectrometer setups with minimized background interference. • The energy response of the cosmic-ray induced background in a HPGe gamma spectrometer from 0.05 to 47 MeV. • Explores cosmic-ray induced background varies with zenith angles of 14°; 27°; 45°; 52°; 90°. • Shows variation proportional to the total background with changes in angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • B-site co-doped perovskite nanocrystals were synthesized. • Co-doped NCs has excellent photoluminescence efficiency and lifetime. • The mechanism of enhanced luminescence of co-doped NCs was elucidated. • The stable scintillator film was prepared by PVDF-HFP encapsulation of co-doped NCs. • The film has excellent performance as scintillator under X-ray. Perovskite scintillators with low cost, easy preparation, environmental stability, and high-resolution have become candidates for X-ray imaging applications. Here, based on the calculation results of surface formation energy (E f) and vacancy defect energy (E vac), a series of co-doped perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with photoluminescence high quantum yield (PLQY) and fast luminescence decay time had been prepared by doping several bivalent metal ions into the B-site of methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr 3). In addition, the scintillator with flexibility was prepared using poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) as the carrier, showing excellent stability and scintillation performance, with a light yield of 21,200 photons/MeV, imaging resolution reached 11.7 lp/mm, and low detection limits of 462 nGy air s−1. Finally, we demonstrated the scintillator characteristic with high-quality imaging results and excellent tolerance under high dose rate X-ray (25 mGy s−1). Therefore, the combination of co-doped nanocrystals with excellent optical properties and PVDF-HFP further paves the way for the development of a scintillator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel approach based on variational autoencoder with Gaussian mixture latent space (GMVAE) to address the challenging problem of pulse shape discrimination (PSD) in organic scintillators, in the presence of pile up. Unlike deterministic charge integration, which is very sensitive to pulse-processing parameters, the GMVAE performances are robust against variations of the hyperparameters. When compared to other supervised machine learning methods, GMVAE requires the fewest training pulses (100) to achieve a classification accuracy within 2% of its optimum performance, i.e. , 98.3% accuracy. GMVAE exhibited excellent classification despite the difference in energy spectra between the training and test data sets, which were 14.1 MeV neutron pulses and 239PuBe pulses, respectively. While requiring minimum supervision, GMVAE showed superior PSD performances compared to both deterministic and supervised machine learning approaches. GMVAE is hence particularly suitable for real-time pulse classification, where expert labeling is unavailable and fine tuning of the discrimination parameters impractical. • A variational autoencoder with Gaussian mixture prior for pulse shape discrimination with pile ups. • Our method outperforms deterministic and ML methods with minimal supervision. • Our GMVAE required only 100 training pulses to achieve near-optimal accuracy. • Proved GMVAE's adaptability to different energy spectra between training and testing. • Potential of GMVAE for real-time applications due to its computational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by the pursuit of optimizing the luminescent properties of garnet-based single crystals for X-ray imaging applications, this work reports on the successful synthesis and in-depth characterization of GYAGG crystals doped with Ce³⁺ or Tb³⁺ ions, and doubly-doped with both of them. Micro-pulling down synthesis yielded crystals with a single cubic phase confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Photoluminescence (PL) and radioluminescence (RL) measurements on Ce³⁺,Tb³⁺ co-doped GYAGG revealed bidirectional energy transfer processes. Characteristic broadband 5d 1 →4f emission of Ce³⁺ centers peaking at 530 nm and narrow 4f→4f emission lines of Tb³⁺ ions starting from 5D 4 level within 480–630 nm were observed. At higher doping levels, cross-relaxation in Tb³⁺ pairs resulted depleted 5D 3 state and only the emission from 5D 4 one was observed in the spectra. Analysis of PL decay characteristics corroborated the spectral observations, confirming progressively decreasing Ce³⁺ decay time (down to 40 ns at 15 % Tb3+) due to enhanced Ce³⁺→Tb³⁺ energy transfer. Similarly, the Tb³⁺ decay time accelerated by more than 60 % after the Ce³⁺ co-doping. Notably, co-doping with 0.5 % Ce³⁺ and 10–15 % Tb³⁺ doubled the luminescence intensity of RL spectra compared to 0.5 % Ce³⁺-doping alone, attributed to the increased density of emitting centers. • High-quality and crack-free GYAGG:Ce,Tb single crystals were successfully grown. • The photoluminescence spectra revealed Ce³⁺↔Tb³⁺ bidirectional energy transfer. • At lower Tb³⁺ doping (0.5 %), the bidirectional energy transfer was inefficient. • High Tb³⁺ doping (15 %) significantly enhanced energy transfer. • Co-doping yielded a two-fold radioluminescence intensity compared to sole doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the impact of optical and scintillation properties on needle-shaped bis(butylammonium) lead bromide [(BA) 2 PbBr 4 ] crystals (average length of 12.7 mm and average width of 1.3 mm), considering different growth methods and dimensions. Needle-shaped crystals with a length-to-width aspect ratio greater than 10 are essential for cutting-edge radiation imaging technology. Through X-ray diffraction characterization, we observe lattice expansion in the needle-shaped crystals compared to previous single crystals. This expansion leads to a stronger overlap between absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, resulting in a smaller Stokes shift of 26 meV. Time-resolved PL analysis reveals a fast decay component of 0.8 ns, which is 68 % faster than the previously reported best value of 2.0 ns, with an average decay time of 3.6 ns, 48 % faster than the best reported value of 7.0 ns. Although our measured sample exhibits a comparatively low light yield (LY) of 7.8 ph/keV due to strong self-absorption, the best energy resolution is observed with a value of 11.5 %, similar to the best reported value of 10.9 %. Despite this, the LY is notably superior to that of previously reported benzylammonium lead bromide [(BZA) 2 PbBr 4 ] crystals (3.7 ph/keV). Additionally, scintillation decay shows a fast component of 9.4 ns and an average decay time of 119 ns. These characteristics make two-dimensional-(BA) 2 PbBr 4 needle-shaped crystals promising candidates for cost-effective and scalable applications in radiation imaging technology. • Solution process 2D-(BA) 2 PbBr 4 needle-shaped crystals was successfully synthesized with an aspect ratio of length to width exceeding 10. • Time-resolved photoluminescence analysis reveals ultra-fast decay component of 0.8 ns, which is 68 % faster than the reported value of 2.0 ns. • Solution grown needle-shaped 2D perovskites are an interesting and versatile class of materials for cost-effective and scalable in cutting-edge radiation imaging technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the LHCb Upgrade II is to operate at a luminosity of up to 1. 5 × 1 0 34 cm 2 s−1 to collect a data set of 300 fb−1. The required substantial modifications of the current LHCb electromagnetic calorimeter due to high radiation doses in the central region and increased particle densities are referred to as PicoCal. Modification of the ECAL already during Long Shutdown 3 (LS3) will reduce the occupancy and mitigate substantial ageing effects in the central region after Run 3. Several scintillating sampling ECAL technologies are currently being investigated in an ongoing R&D campaign: Spaghetti Calorimeter (SpaCal) with garnet scintillating crystals and tungsten absorber, SpaCal with scintillating plastic fibres and tungsten or lead absorber, and Shashlik with polystyrene tiles, lead absorber and fast WLS-fibres. Timing capabilities with tens of picoseconds precision and increased granularity with denser absorber in the central region are needed for pile-up mitigation. Time resolutions of better than 20 ps at high energy were observed in test beam measurements of SpaCal and Shashlik prototype modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of neutrons and gamma-rays in mixed fields is a main interest in pulse shape discrimination (PSD) studies, and becomes more significant when it involves techniques such as machine learning which requires true data. One of the surest methods to label neutrons and gamma-rays is neutron Time-of-Flight. This can be applied to the identification of special nuclear materials and by extension to nuclear non-proliferation. Moreover, the integration of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology can make the neutron Time-of-Flight system more compact. Two EJ-276 plastic scintillators, which are capable of PSD, were coupled to SiPMs. The actual portion of neutrons from a 252Cf source intruding the gamma-rays in PSD ratio distribution, labeled by neutron Time-of-Flight, was calculated and then compared with gamma-rejection ratio (GRR) for each threshold in SiPM-based pulse shape discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Particle and Nuclear Physics research and related applications, organic scintillators provide a cost-effective technology for the detection of ionising radiation. The next generation of experiments in this field is driving fundamental research and development on these materials, demanding improved light yield, radiation hardness, and fast response. Common materials such as PEN and PET have been found to offer scintillation properties competitive to commercial alternatives without the use of dopants. Motivated by their complementarity in terms of light yield, radiation hardness, and time response, there is an increasing interest in investigating PET:PEN mixtures to ascertain whether they exhibit synergistic blending. This paper presents results from the systematic development of samples of PET, PEN, and PET:PEN blends with varied mass proportions. The manufacturing technique, involving injection moulding of granule raw material, is detailed. The effects of doping the polymer base substrate with fluorescent dopants are explored. Finally, the emission spectra of the different material compositions and their relative light output are presented. • We studied the scintillation properties of scintillators based on PET and PEN. • We established an injection-moulding technique for the production of small scintillators. • We produced scintillator samples of PET:PEN blends with varied mass proportion. • The scintillation output increases with the mass proportion of PEN. • The addition of wavelength-shifting fluors (POPOP and BBOT) increases scintillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helium-4-based scintillation detector technology is emerging as a strong alternative to pulse-shape discrimination-capable organic scintillators for fast neutron detection and spectroscopy, particularly in extreme gamma-ray environments. The 4 He detector is intrinsically insensitive to gamma radiation, as it has a relatively low cross-section for gamma-ray interactions, and the stopping power of electrons in the 4He medium is low compared to that of 4 He recoil nuclei. Consequently, gamma rays can be discriminated by simple energy deposition thresholding instead of the more complex pulse shape analysis. The energy resolution of 4 He scintillation detectors has not yet been well-characterized over a broad range of energy depositions, which limits the ability to deconvolve the source spectra. In this work, an experiment was performed to characterize the response of an Arktis S670 4 He detector to nuclear recoils up to 9 MeV. The 4 He detector was positioned in the center of a semicircular array of organic scintillation detectors operated in coincidence. Deuterium–deuterium and deuterium–tritium neutron generators provided monoenergetic neutrons, yielding geometrically constrained nuclear recoils ranging from 0.0925 to 8.87 MeV. The detector response provides evidence for scintillation linearity beyond the previously reported energy range. The measured response was used to develop an energy resolution function applicable to this energy range for use in high-fidelity detector simulations needed by future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new experimental method to measure muon polarization using a scintillating material has been proposed. One of the key issues for this measurement is the choice of scintillation materials which can maintain the μ + spin polarization for several μ + lifetimes. Thus far, a CeF 3 scintillating crystal has been known to be only a possible candidate and it is highly preferable to find other scintillators whose performance is nearly equivalent to CeF 3. The residual μ + polarization in a 2% cerium-doped LaF 3 scintillating crystal was measured at the J-PARC Material and Life Science Facility (MLF) by applying the longitudinal field (LF) to the LaF 3 material. The polarization was obtained to be 83 and 87 % with LF = 100 and 140 Gauss, respectively, which is high enough to measure the μ + polarization in various experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the performance of a SONY CMOS sensor, IU233N5-Z with a very small pixel size of 1. 12 μ m and 1 million pixels, for imaging X-rays, α and β rays. The energy resolution of X-rays was 180 eV at 5.9 keV and 184 eV at 6.5 keV when irradiating the CMOS sensor with 55Fe, and 344 eV at 14.4 keV when irradiating the CMOS sensor with 57Co, which is similar to that of the CCD detector even at room temperature. Furthermore, We read out the optical light of a CsI(Tl) scintillator by this CMOS detector and obtained a detection efficiency of ∼ 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast neutron active interrogation is a powerful method for detecting shielded contraband, including explosives, narcotics, and special nuclear material. Pulsed neutron sources can produce intense, time-dependent gamma-ray signatures of contraband, but the detection of those gamma rays is frequently challenging due to high detector pileup. Organic scintillators are fast and cost-effective gamma-ray detectors and thus could be well suited for this application if they can provide adequate gamma-ray spectroscopy. We discuss the use of maximum likelihood estimation maximization based spectral reconstruction techniques for organic scintillators to reconstruct the inelastic scattering and capture gamma-ray spectra produced in neutron active interrogation. Several contraband simulants were irradiated with a pulsed deuterium-tritium neutron generator, and organic liquid scintillators were used to record the emitted radiation signatures. The gamma-ray spectra are time-gated based on the measured neutron pulse time profile, which is shown to be able to improve the signal-to-background ratio for contraband gamma-ray signatures. We isolated several major gamma-ray signatures in the reconstructed spectra that correspond to contraband constituent elements, allowing for the identification of potential contraband objects. We additionally show that the reconstructed gamma-ray spectra can be used to measure sample stoichiometry and discriminate benign from contraband simulant objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the interaction cross sections of heavy oxide scintillators, which have a very important place in high energy physics research, with photon and particle radiation were comparatively investigated. In this context, the interaction parameters of six different Ce-doped heavy oxide scintillators were obtained using updated software. The interactions of photons with energies between 1 keV and 100 GeV with scintillators were evaluated in the light of the results produced by the Phy-X/PSD software. In addition to the continuous energy range, calculations were also made on the photon energies emitted with the highest probability of emission from sources 241Am (59.54 keV), 133Ba (356 keV), 22Na (511 and 1280 keV), 137Cs (662 keV) and 152Eu (1460 keV). Additionally, evaluations of energy absorption build-up factors valid under broad beam conditions are also included in this study. Fast neutron absorption cross sections and changes in the range (R) values for heavy particle radiation in the range of 1 keV–20 MeV were also determined with SRIM and ESTAR software. All data obtained depending on energy are explained according to the mass percentages of Lu, Gd, Hf, Y, Al and O elements in the scintillators. The highest interaction cross section for photons was obtained in the Lu 2 Gd 2 SiO 5 (Ce 0.3%) scintillator (HOS2). The interaction cross section of this scintillator was obtained as 3.115 and 0.042 cm2/g at 0.1 MeV and 10 MeV photon energies, respectively. On the other hand, the highest cross-sections of the fast neutrons were observed in the scintillator (HOS5) containing GdAlO 3 (Ce 1.0%) as 0.148 cm−1. This difference in neutron radiation has been explained by calculating the individual attenuation abilities of the elements in the structures. It is hoped that the data obtained will guide researchers working on the detection of different types of radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cs 2 LiYCl 6 (CLYC) scintillation crystal is a promising candidate for fast neutron spectroscopy due to its dual mode gamma/neutron capability and good energy resolution. Despite promising features, CLYC's limited radiation tolerance and inability to separate alpha/proton particles using pulse shape discrimination (PSD) method restrict its applicability in fast neutron spectroscopy. The significant cross-sections for 35Cl(n,p)35S and 35Cl(n, α)32P reactions make 35Cl-containing crystals attractive candidates for fast neutron detection, prompting their development as a promising new solution. This study reports the growth of LaCl 3 crystals via the Bridgman technique, enabling further exploration of their scintillation and material properties for fast neutron detection applications. The effects of the proton irradiation on LaCl 3 crystals were investigated by irradiating them with a 100 MeV proton beam at the Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex. The study quantified radiation damage by comparing the pre- and post-irradiation scintillation properties and PSD of the LaCl 3 crystals. The results of the measurements demonstrate that LaCl 3 crystals are promising candidates for applications in fast neutron identification, spectroscopy, and space mission, maintaining performance even under high-radiation environments. • Good alpha/proton separation capability of undoped LaCl 3 crystals. • We successfully grew undoped LaCl 3 crystals up to a size of 38 Φ mm x 25 mm. • Scintillation properties of the crystals showed good agreement with published values. • Direct unfolding method was achieved for fast neutron measurements. • Radiation hardness of LaCl 3 crystals was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present the development of a phoswich detector system employing a Bismuth Germanate (BGO) crystal scintillator in combination with a Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) film plastic scintillator. Phoswich detectors can contribute to various applications, including radiation monitoring, medical imaging, and nuclear physics experiments, due to their ability to discriminate between different types of radiation. The thin PEN film is sensitive to α and β radiation, while the BGO scintillator exhibits good γ radiation detection efficiency. The incident radiation type and its energy can be determined by analyzing the difference in decay times between these two scintillators. This paper presents an analysis of the detector's response to α , β , and γ radiation, and the particle tagging efficiencies are to be over 99.9%, 92%, and 99.8%, respectively. • We observe effective discrimination based on alpha, beta, and gamma characteristics. • The signals from BGO and PEN film fit well through pulse shape discrimination. • The tagging efficiency for alpha, beta, and gamma are over 99.9%, 92%, and 99.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tb3+ doped sodium-gadolinium-aluminum-phosphate glass samples (PGNA) with chemical compositions 30Na 2 CO 3 :8Gd 2 O 3 :5Al 2 O 3: (57- x)P 2 O 5 : x Tb 4 O 7 (where x = 0 , 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5 mol. %) were manufactured by using adopting the conventional melt quenching technique. The PXRD study of the prepared samples was used to confirm the amorphous structure. FE-SEM, EDS, and FTIR studies were carried out to analyze the elemental and structural characteristics of synthesized glasses. The X-ray induced luminescence spectra were obtained at room temperature and the emission peak at 311 nm corresponding to Gd3+ transition was observed decreasing with the increase of Tb 4 O 7 concentrations, while emission peak intensities corresponding to Tb3+ electronic transitions increased with the concentrations of Tb 4 O 7. The results from the photoluminescence (PL) studies in the UV–Vis–NIR region showed the glasses emitting intense green light with the highest peak at 544 nm under excitations at 220, 272, and 311 nm. The PL emission intensities were found reasonably high under characteristic excitations of both Gd3+ and Tb3+, peaking at 380, 414, 437, 489, 544, 584, and 623 nm, which corresponding to 5D 3 → 7F 6, 5D 3 → 7F 5 , 5D 3 → 7F 4 , 5D 4 → 7F 6 , 5D 4 → 7F 5 , 5D 4 → 7F 5 , 5D 4 → 7F 4 , 5D 4 → 7F 3 transitions, respectively. The decay time of Tb3+ ions has been observed to decrease when the concentration of Tb 4 O 7 increases. The energy transfer from Gd3+ to Tb3+ was found increased with increasing of Tb3+ concentrations. The CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinates of Tb doped PGNA glasses were found to be in the green range, indicating a strong potential for green laser application. The results from X-ray imaging showed that Tb-doped glass scintillators promise of efficient and low-cost solution for X-ray imaging applications. • XRL spectra has the emission peak at 311 nm corresponding to 6P 7/2 → 8S 7/2 due to Gd3+ ion in the host. • Glasses emitting intense green light with highest peak at 544 nm under 220, 272, 311 nm excitations. • PL emission intensities found reasonably high for both Gd3+ and Tb3+ characteristic excitation. • CIE 1931 coordinates of glasses found in the green indentify potential for green laser application. • The Tb-doped glass promise of efficient and low-cost solution for X-ray imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the radiation hardness of phosphate glasses doped with terbium (Tb) ions, having the composition 56 P 2 O 5 : 30 Na 2 CO 3 : 5 Al 2 O 3 : 8 Gd 2 O 3 : 1 Tb 4 O 7 , under proton and X-ray beam excitation. These glasses were synthesized using the melt and quench method. The dose distribution inside the volume of these samples was studied, and the absolute absorbed dose was calculated. The scintillation and optical properties, such as photoluminescence, transmission, absorption, etc., were studied and compared before and after exposure to irradiation. Under both types of irradiation, we observed two major emission peaks corresponding to the transitions 5 D 3 → 7 F 5 (at 480 – 510 nm, in the blue region) and 5 D 4 → 7 F 6 (at 535 – 565 nm, in the green region). The dominant green emission is attributed to the presence of Tb 3 + dopants. Notably, after X-ray irradiation, we observed a change in the sample's color, accompanied by a decrease in the intensity of all peaks. This suggests a potential limitation in the radiation hardness of Tb-doped phosphate glass. Similarly we checked the luminous intensity with 100 MeV proton beam. Furthermore, we conducted thermal annealing process to explore the possibility of radiation damage recovery and found out that sample does recover, its intensity recovered and its color change back to transparent from yellowish color. Our results highlight characteristics of Tb-doped phosphate glasses, which make them valuable for diverse applications such as radiation detection, dosimetry, radiography, biomedical imaging, and related fields. • Tb-doped phosphate glasses were prepared using the melt and quench method. • The sample was irradiated with X-rays and a 100 MeV proton beam. • At an absorbed dose of 90 Gy from X-rays, the sample changed to a yellowish color. • X-ray-damaged sample exhibited lower transmission compared to fresh sample. • Annealing restored X-ray-damaged sample to levels comparable with fresh samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensity-modulated delivery techniques in radiotherapy are advanced methods that use the superposition of small fields to create complex dose distributions. These techniques result in intense gradients and inhomogeneous dose regions, making the dosimetry of composite fields challenging, especially when the sub-fields superposition does not restore charged particle equilibrium. This work aims to address the response of radiation detectors in non-equilibrium conditions. Two ionization chambers and a micro-diamond detector were irradiated using composite fields from VMAT plans with spherical targets with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 8 cm. The radiation detectors' response and the dose delivered by the VMAT plans were measured using a plastic scintillator detector and radiochromic film as reference detectors. It was observed that an under-response of the ionization chambers was up to 13% and an over-response of the micro-diamond detector was up to 2.5%. Additionally, output correction factors were derived and used to measure the absorbed dose in composite plans using the radiation detectors. The measured dose was compared with that measured with radiochromic film. A dose difference was found within radiochromic film uncertainties (<2.5%). The results of this work suggest that radiation detectors require output correction factors when non-equilibrium conditions persist in composite fields. However, a link between static and composite fields could not be established because the field size cannot be determined accurately. • A plastic scintillation detector was utilized to evaluate detector response. • The ionization chambers showed an under-response of up to 13%. • The micro-diamond detector showed an over-response of up to 2.5%. • Output correction factors were determined for the radiation detectors. • The corrected dose showed differences less than 2% compared to radiochromic film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulse-by-pulse characteristics of electron beams from a clinical linear accelerator (linac) at high dose rates are crucial for ensuring precise dose delivery in radiation therapy. In this research, we employ a radioluminescence scintillator made from Ge-doped silica optical fiber to analyse electron beams at standard therapy dose rates 600 cGy/min with energy of 15 MeV. The scintillator is combined with a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and a photon-counting setup to achieve microsecond (μs) gating times, providing high temporal resolution. For sub-microsecond (sub-μs) temporal resolution, we utilize a multi-pixel photon counter and a rapid digital oscilloscope. Our study examines the peak time and the time it takes for pulses to return to baseline, uncovering the effects of afterglow at elevated dose rates and its potential implications for dosimetry precision. Our results indicate that monitor chambers, which have lower temporal resolution than the radioluminescence system outlined in this study, may struggle to accurately track high-rate dose delivery, emphasizing the necessity for advanced monitoring methods in FLASH radiotherapy. The dosimetric data was further analysed for deeper analytics on a cloud-based system. The dosimetric data underwent advanced analysis on a cloud-based platform, employing a prototype analytics software system comprised of Dosi-Client and Dosi-Cloud Backend components for real-time data acquisition and processing. This innovative approach revealed significant insights into radiation dosimetry, including the detection of anomalies through a reconstruction convolutional autoencoder, enhancing the precision and reliability of dosimetric measurements. • Introduces a radioluminescence optical fiber-based dosimetry system. • It is designed for real-time detection of dose-rate errors. • Ge-doped silica optical fiber scintillator showed successful measurements. • An embedded computer is used for measurement and storage of dosimetry data. • Cloud system provides storage and analysis of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of naturally occurring concentrations of 40K, and of the decay series of 238U and 232Th, are of interest in the earth sciences in general, and in particular, scintillator-based gamma spectrometers can be used for the low cost determination of burial dose rates in natural geological samples. We are currently developing a robust, portable, wireless detector specifically intended for field measurement of natural radionuclide concentrations and hence, the calculation of dose rates. One of the challenges in developing and applying such an instrument is reliable calibration. Most calibrations of field instruments depend on access to non-finite matrices of known K, U, Th activity concentrations, in either a 4π or 2π geometry; these are only available at a few facilities around the world. Here we investigate an alternative approach, based on the measurement of small samples containing well-known activity concentrations of only K or U or Th, and Monte-Carlo radiation transport modelling to convert the observed spectra into those expected from specific activity concentrations in a non-finite 4π geometry. We first validate our modelling procedure by simulating these observed spectra. The non-finite matrix calibration spectra are then predicted, and least-squares fitted to the spectrum observed at the centre of a 1 m3 of granite chips; the resulting predicted U, Th and K activity concentrations are compared with independently known values. • Challenging calibration of field instruments for natural radionuclide measurement. • Alternative calibration based on measurement of small samples and MCNP simulations. • Encouraging agreement with measurement gives confidence in the approach. • Methodology allows parametric studies on soil water content or composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• β-Ga 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3 transparent thick films were synthesized using MOCVD. • High scintillation light yield of 5400 ph/5.5 MeV was superior to single crystal. • CVD proved advantageous for rapid synthesis of Ga 2 O 3 -based scintillation screens. β-gallia (β-Ga 2 O 3) has been investigated for adoption in power semiconductor wafers; however, it is a promising scintillating material for X-ray detection screens. Thus, the research on methods for growing β-gallia crystals has attracted considerable attention. Herein, 15-μm thick Ga 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3 solid solution films with β-gallia structure were synthesized using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at deposition rate of 15 μm h−1. A high scintillation light yield of 5400 photons per 5.5 MeV and a fast decay response of 5.1 ns of the produced films were observed, which were comparable or superior to those of the β-Ga 2 O 3 single crystals. CVD method proved advantageous for the rapid synthesis of micrometer-thick Ga 2 O 3 -based scintillation screens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Organic cuprous clusters were synthesized by antisolvent vapor-assisted crystallization. • Photoluminescence was tunable by adjusting ratio of raw materials due to vacancy defects changing. • Two charge transfer paths exist in the IPPCuI 2. • Superior X-ray scintillation performances exhibit in DR and CT. • Single-component WLED based on IPPCuI 2 has high CRI and stability. Low-dimensional cuprous clusters demonstrate fascinating luminescent properties due to their uniquely diversified charge transfer excited states, which imply it could be ideal candidate for multifunctional applications, such as X-ray scintillators and white light emitting diodes (WLED). However, it is still challenge for low-dimensional cuprous clusters that how to regulate the emission performance to meet the requirements of the specific applications. In this work, we prepared a series of luminescent organic cuprous iodide clusters, (IPP)CuI 2 and (IPP) 2 CuI 3 , which show tunable emission property by simply component regulation. The (IPP)CuI 2 with IPP: CuI = 1: 0.75 show the best scintillator property with super-low detection limit of 62.29 nGy/s and high light yields of 75793.83 photons/MeV which is far beyond most organic copper halide scintillators. A series of clear digital radiography (DR) with high spatial resolution of 10.2 lp/mm and a reconstructed 3D model based on computed tomography (CT) were successfully obtained by the prepared scintillation screen. Moreover, the single-component WLED based on accurately component regulation (IPP)CuI 2 with IPP: CuI = 1: 0.99 exhibits pure white emission with a high CRI (color rendering index) of 82. The luminescence mechanism of charge transfer excited states in tunable emission (IPP)CuI 2 was also investigated. Our works not only provide a kind of ideal materials applied for high-performance single-component WLED and scintillator but also reveal the large potential of low-dimensional organic cuprous halides as luminescent material for multifunctional applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Growth of a crack-free, optical transparent, and large-size trans -stilbene (TSB) single crystal using novel vaporized purification method is reported. • The crystal also exhibits strong blue emission (380 nm) in photoluminescence and emission at 387 nm under X-ray radiation in radioluminescence spectroscopy. • The scintillation decay time is calculated to be 6 ns under 137Cs gamma source. • The figure of merit of 2,4 indicates its potential significance in fast neutron detection with efficient PSD property. The paper reports the successful growth of large, crack-free trans -stilbene (TSB) single crystals using an in-house developed vertical Bridgman setup. The material purification involved a novel vaporized method at 130 °C. Parameters like furnace setup and ampoule's cone angle were optimized during the growth process. The Powder XRD pattern confirms the phase of material and crystallinity. The crystal exhibited high transmittance (78 %) in the visible region, with an optical band gap of 3.4 eV. Photoluminescence study indicated strong blue emission at 380 nm, with radioluminescence spectroscopy showing emissions at 387 nm under X-ray radiation. The crystal exhibited a scintillation decay time of 6 ns under 137Cs gamma source, highlighting its fast decay and efficient PSD property with a figure of merit of 2.24 for fast neutron detection applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TGFs have possible adverse effects on commercial and general aviation avionics. • A scalable aircraft-based energetic radiation detection system is presented. • Preliminary results include 180 h of aircraft-based measurements. • Developed algorithms for large-scale study of energetic radiation from thunderstorms. Thunderstorm and lightning related energetic radiation can generally be categorized as (1) leader X-rays, (2) Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs), or (3) Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs). TGFs are usually recorded from satellites, and, on some occasions, they have been recorded from the ground, but only a few attempts have been made to measure TGFs from aircraft. Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs) are much longer duration than TGFs, and they are recorded at ground level. Energetic radiation associated with thunderstorms and lightning is a relatively recently recognized hazard. It can have possible adverse effects on commercial and general aviation avionics, thus an experimental understanding of the impulsive and prolonged radiation enhancements onboard aircraft is essential (Eack et al., 1996). In this paper, we present artificial TGFs and TGEs, which were acquired in the lab with a compact CsI scintillator detector, along with commercial and general aviation aircraft-based measurements to assess the feasibility of a large-scale aircraft-based study. Our preliminary results include 180 h of aircraft-based measurements, the longest aircraft-based TGF search to date, and show that the detector hardware, installation protocol, processing software, and search algorithm can be used for a large-scale study of energetic radiation from thunderstorms and lightning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron spectrometry plays a crucial role in decommissioning of nuclear sites and in ensuring the safety of workers from radiation exposure. In this study, we associate a proton recoil spectrometer made by a homemade plastic scintillator with triple discrimination capabilities (fast neutrons, thermal neutrons, and gamma rays) with deconvolution methods to obtain accurate measurements of neutron spectra. The purpose of this work is to test and evaluate the performance of three distinct deconvolution codes, namely MAXED (Maximum Entropy Deconvolution), GRAVEL, and MLEM (Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization), using two types of input spectra (flat and Watt spectrum). These deconvolution codes are applied to simulated data using the reference MCNP6.2 Monte Carlo code. Comparing the calculated mean squared error (MSE) performed by the three unfolding methods, we find that MLEM seems to perform better than MAXED and GRAVEL. Furthermore, given the calculated MSE values, the unfolded spectrum of Cf-252 is in better agreement with the standard reference spectrum by using Watt spectrum as input spectrum (MSE<1.2 × 10−6) than using a flat spectrum (MSE<1.3 × 10−6). • The performance of three unfolding codes MAXED, GRAVEL and MLEM have been compared using plastic scintillator simulated data. • Comparing the calculated mean squared error (MSE) performed by the three unfolding methods, we find that MLEM seems to perform better than MAXED and GRAVEL. • Utilizing the Watt spectrum as the input spectrum enhances the performance of the unfolding codes when compared to using the flat spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, neutron spectra are unfolded using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The neutron response of the NE213 scintillator detector, characterized by the pulse height distribution, is calculated to obtain the necessary data for unfolding the energy spectrum. This is achieved using both analytical response functions and response functions generated by the MCNPX-PHOTRACK code. In this query, the Levenberg-Marquardt method (LMM), which has a high computational speed in the learning method, is used to train the network. The performance of the ANN for unfolding the neutron energy spectrum of the NE213 scintillation detector was evaluated by comparing its results to the established Gravel method. The ANN method consistently produced spectra with a single peak closely matching the incident energy, while the Gravel method showed additional peaks and distortions. Quantitative analysis revealed a lower relative energy peak difference (indicating higher accuracy) for the ANN method compared to Gravel, particularly when noise was introduced into the data. These results suggest that ANNs offer a more robust and accurate approach for neutron spectrum unfolding. • The neutron energy spectrum was unfolded using LMBP algorithm. • A two-layer neural network for energy spectrum unfolding was developed. • In the LMBP method, the time and cost of calculations are reduced considerably. • A comparison of LMBP with GRAVEL shows that both methods are very efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of Eu2+-activated oxide materials with high efficiency, fast decay and narrow bandwidth emission in the visible region is still challenging for the field of luminescence and scintillation applications. Generally, Eu2+ in oxide hosts can emit intense and broad 5d-4f emission in the visible region, but efficient emitting with stable bivalence of Eu is rare in inorganic oxide system. In this work, a series of ASL:Eu2+ (Sr 1-x La x Mg x Al 12-x O 19) powder samples with various La, Mg doping ratios were designed and synthesized to modulate the UV or X-ray excited luminescence properties, including redshift, quantum yield, and decaying lifetime. Moreover, an ASL:Eu2+ crystal with the optimal ratio x = 1/3 was grown, its scintillation performance was compared with standard Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 crystal sample and evaluated in detail. These results indicate that the ASL:Eu2+ crystal is potential scintillator as a kind of X-ray detection and provide a reference for the further development of high-performance Eu-activated oxide scintillation materials. • The La, Mg dopants in SrAl 12 O 19 host promotes the red shift of Eu2+ emission under UV excitation. • The ASL:Eu2+ shows the self-trapped excitons radiation in XEL spectra. • The light yield of the as-grown ASL:Eu2+ crystal was determine to be 111.6 p.e./MeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]