High-energy-resolution scintillator: Ce[sup 3+] activated LaCl[sub 3].

The scintillation properties of LaCl[sub 3] doped with 10% Ce[sup 3+] are presented. Under optical and gamma ray excitation, Ce[sup 3+] emission is observed to peak at 330 and 352 nm. The scintillation light output is 46 000±1000 photons/MeV at 662 keV. Forty percent is emitted with a decay time of 26 ns, 30% with 210 ns, and 30% with about 1000 ns. An energy resolution (full width at half maximum over the peak position) of 3.3±0.3% was observed for the 662 keV full absorption peak. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]