The Backscatter Gating method for time, energy, and position resolution characterization of long form factor organic scintillators

Abstract

This work details a Compton-scattering-based methodology, referred to as Backscatter Gating (BSG), for characterizing the time, energy, and position resolutions of long form factor organic scintillators using a single, fairly minimal measurement setup. Such a method can ease the experimental burden in scenarios where many such scintillator elements may need to be individually characterized before assembly into a larger detector system. A thorough theoretical exploration of the systematic parameters is provided, and the BSG method is then demonstrated by a series of experimental measurements. This “complete” characterization via the BSG method is novel, having previously been used primarily for energy resolution characterization. The method also allows for determination of the assembled scintillator's technical attenuation length and provides a means of verifying the presence or absence of flaws within the scintillator or its optical coupling.