The Decay Times of Organic Scintillators and Their Application to the Discrimination between Particles of Differing Specific Ionization

Abstract

Studies of the differences in the decay time of organic phosphors have shown that, while most of the light is emitted with a short-period fluorescence decay, differences in specific ionization affect the long-term components. It is consequently possible to distinguish between gamma ray and neutron excitation of many phosphors (including scintillating liquids) by using multiplier photocells having relatively slow response characteristics. Photomultipliers with large-area photocathodes can therefore be used.