CHARACTERIZATION OF CLYC SCINTILLATOR COUPLED WITH PHOTOMULTIPLIERS AND A LARGE SIPM ARRAY

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Instrumentation
• Radiation Detection
• Physics

Background:

• Strong magnetic fields pose challenges for conventional radiation survey meters.
• CERN's Radiation Protection group is developing new instrumentation for challenging environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the B-RAD, a novel radiation survey meter designed for operation in strong magnetic fields.
• To detail the development and testing of probes for the B-RAD system.
• To evaluate the performance of Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) detectors with a Cesium-2 Lithium-6 Yttrium Chloride doped Cerium (CLYC) scintillator.

Main Methods:

• The B-RAD system development, including probes for gamma dose rate, spectrometry, and surface contamination.
• Investigation into the feasibility of neutron detection probes.
• Characterization of Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) breakdown voltage and pixel uniformity.
• Measurement of energy resolution for CLYC scintillator coupled with SiPM, compared to Photomultiplier Tube (PMT) models.
• Assessment of temperature sensitivity for the CLYC + SiPM system across a range of -10 to +40°C.

Main Results:

• The B-RAD system is capable of operating in strong magnetic fields.
• SiPM breakdown voltage and pixel uniformity were determined.
• Energy resolution of the CLYC scintillator with SiPM was measured and compared to PMTs.
• Temperature sensitivity of the CLYC + SiPM system was quantified between -10 and +40°C.

Conclusions:

• The B-RAD represents a significant advancement in radiation survey meters for magnetic field environments.
• The SiPM coupled with CLYC scintillator shows promising performance for radiation detection.
• Further development is ongoing for neutron detection capabilities within the B-RAD system.