Large volume CdWO 4 crystal scintillators
Abstract
A low background scintillation spectrometer based on CdWO 4 crystals of large volume (100-200 cm 3) with improved energy resolution has been developed as a result of advances in crystal growth, optimization of light collection and design of a special electronic unit for amplification and shaping of the CdWO 4 signals. The energy resolution of crystals with volume 80-150 cm 3 is 10-12% for 662 keV γ-rays. A value of 7-8% at 662 keV, which is comparable to Nal(TI), has been obtained with small samples (10-20 cm 3). The high purity of the CdWO 4 crystals ( 228Thcontamination is less than 8 μBq/kg, that of 226Ra less than 13 μBq/kg) allows construction of unique spectrometers based on CdWO 4 crystals of large volume for environmental control, well logging and measurements of radioactive contamination in various samples with a sensitivity of 10 -12 to 2 × 10 -13 Ci/kg.
- Publication:
-
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A
- Pub Date:
- February 1996
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0168-9002(95)00675-3
- Bibcode:
- 1996NIMPA.369..164B