(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010-05-12)
Barta, M Brooke
A nanocomposite gamma-ray scintillator contains nanoscale phosphor particles (nanophosphors) encapsulated in a polymer matrix. These scintillators show great promise for improving the cost and durability of scintillators for gamma-ray detector systems because single crystal scintillators currently in use have high cost and hygroscopicity, and are available in limited compositions and sizes. This research utilizes two different commercially available epoxies to encapsulate two different nanophosphors (BaF2:2%Ce and BaF2:15%Ce). The importance of three parameters are illustrated: photon efficiency of the encapsulated nanophosphor, refractive index (RI) match between the nanophosphor and polymer matrix, and the %transmission of the polymer at the wavelength at which the BaF2:Ce nanophosphors emit gamma-ray excited photons.