JOURNAL ARTICLE

Cerium doped yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator as an absolute ultracold neutron detector.

  • Published In: Review of Scientific Instruments, 2024, v. 95, n. 10. P. 1 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Krivoš, M.; Floyd, N. C.; Tang, Z.; Morris, C. L.; Blatnik, M.; Clayton, S. M.; Cude-Woods, C. B.; Holley, A. T.; Hooks, D. E.; Ito, T. M.; Liu, C.-Y.; Makela, M.; Martinez, I. F.; Martinez, M. R.; Navazo, A. S. C.; O'Shaughnessy, C. M.; Pattie, R. W.; Renner, E. L.; Singh, M.; Surbrook, J. 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the evaluation of a new boron-10 (^10B)-coated Cerium-activated Yttrium Aluminum Perovskite (YAP:Ce) scintillator for use in the UCNProBe experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which aims to measure the free neutron beta decay lifetime with improved systematic precision. The YAP:Ce scintillator offers advantages over the commonly used ZnS:Ag screens, including a higher Fermi potential that reduces ultracold neutron (UCN) upscattering, a shorter scintillation decay time, and the ability to be used in crystal form without adhesives, enabling more uniform ^10B coatings. Measurements showed a neutron capture efficiency of (86.8 ± 2.6)% for YAP:Ce and demonstrated that it counted 8%–28% more UCN than ZnS:Ag, likely due to the latter's uneven ^10B coating on a rough surface. The study also quantified light losses from the ^10B coating (about 60%) and transmission through deuterated polystyrene scintillators (about 50%), and established Birks' coefficient for YAP:Ce, supporting its suitability for precise UCN detection and calibration in neutron lifetime experiments.

Additional Information

  • Source:Review of Scientific Instruments. 2024/10, Vol. 95, Issue 10, p1
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Physics
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0034-6748
  • DOI:10.1063/5.0211059
  • Accession Number:180631749
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