Simulating gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators due to electron-hole pair statistics

R. D. Narayan; R. Miranda; Peter Rez

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2011.08.008

Simulating gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators due to electron-hole pair statistics

R. D. Narayan, R. Miranda, Peter Rez

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The best-possible limit to gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators is given by the statistics of the number of electron-hole pairs produced by an incident gamma-ray, characterized by the Fano factor. The Fano factor is primarily controlled by the inelastic scattering during the electron cascade, which could be modeled by Monte Carlo simulation. Commonly used radiation transport codes do not follow the electrons to low enough energies to calculate electron-hole pair distributions. A Monte Carlo simulation for inelastic electron scattering is introduced based on cross-sections derived from data measured by Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) for fast electrons. This inelastic scattering model was incorporated into the radiation transport code Penelope so that it could accurately count the number of electron-hole pairs produced by a gamma-ray. The Fano factor was calculated for the scintillators cerium fluoride (CeF₃) and lutetium oxyorthosilicate (Lu ₂SiO₅).

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2667-2675
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Volume	269
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2011.08.008
State	Published - Nov 15 2011

Keywords

Energy resolution
Fano factor
Gamma-ray detectors
Scintillators
Simulation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Instrumentation

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10.1016/j.nimb.2011.08.008

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title = "Simulating gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators due to electron-hole pair statistics",

abstract = "The best-possible limit to gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators is given by the statistics of the number of electron-hole pairs produced by an incident gamma-ray, characterized by the Fano factor. The Fano factor is primarily controlled by the inelastic scattering during the electron cascade, which could be modeled by Monte Carlo simulation. Commonly used radiation transport codes do not follow the electrons to low enough energies to calculate electron-hole pair distributions. A Monte Carlo simulation for inelastic electron scattering is introduced based on cross-sections derived from data measured by Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) for fast electrons. This inelastic scattering model was incorporated into the radiation transport code Penelope so that it could accurately count the number of electron-hole pairs produced by a gamma-ray. The Fano factor was calculated for the scintillators cerium fluoride (CeF3) and lutetium oxyorthosilicate (Lu 2SiO5).",

keywords = "Energy resolution, Fano factor, Gamma-ray detectors, Scintillators, Simulation",

author = "Narayan, {R. D.} and R. Miranda and Peter Rez",

note = "Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge the support of this work by the US Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.",

year = "2011",

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doi = "10.1016/j.nimb.2011.08.008",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "269",

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T1 - Simulating gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators due to electron-hole pair statistics

AU - Narayan, R. D.

AU - Miranda, R.

AU - Rez, Peter

N1 - Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge the support of this work by the US Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.

PY - 2011/11/15

Y1 - 2011/11/15

N2 - The best-possible limit to gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators is given by the statistics of the number of electron-hole pairs produced by an incident gamma-ray, characterized by the Fano factor. The Fano factor is primarily controlled by the inelastic scattering during the electron cascade, which could be modeled by Monte Carlo simulation. Commonly used radiation transport codes do not follow the electrons to low enough energies to calculate electron-hole pair distributions. A Monte Carlo simulation for inelastic electron scattering is introduced based on cross-sections derived from data measured by Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) for fast electrons. This inelastic scattering model was incorporated into the radiation transport code Penelope so that it could accurately count the number of electron-hole pairs produced by a gamma-ray. The Fano factor was calculated for the scintillators cerium fluoride (CeF3) and lutetium oxyorthosilicate (Lu 2SiO5).

AB - The best-possible limit to gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators is given by the statistics of the number of electron-hole pairs produced by an incident gamma-ray, characterized by the Fano factor. The Fano factor is primarily controlled by the inelastic scattering during the electron cascade, which could be modeled by Monte Carlo simulation. Commonly used radiation transport codes do not follow the electrons to low enough energies to calculate electron-hole pair distributions. A Monte Carlo simulation for inelastic electron scattering is introduced based on cross-sections derived from data measured by Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) for fast electrons. This inelastic scattering model was incorporated into the radiation transport code Penelope so that it could accurately count the number of electron-hole pairs produced by a gamma-ray. The Fano factor was calculated for the scintillators cerium fluoride (CeF3) and lutetium oxyorthosilicate (Lu 2SiO5).

KW - Energy resolution

KW - Fano factor

KW - Gamma-ray detectors

KW - Scintillators

KW - Simulation

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JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms

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IS - 22

ER -

Simulating gamma-ray energy resolution in scintillators due to electron-hole pair statistics

Abstract

Keywords

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