Mikhail Korzhik

This book presents the current advances in understanding of the fast excitation transfer processes in inorganic scintillation materials, the discovery of new materials exhibiting excellent time resolution, and the results on the evaluation of timing limits for scintillation detectors. The book considers in-depth basic principles of primary processes in energy relaxation, which play a key role in creating scintillating centers to meet a growing demand for knowledge to develop new materials combining high energy and time resolutions. The rate of relaxation varies. However, the goal is to make it extremely fast, occurring within the ps domain or even shorter. The book focuses on fast processes in scintillation materials. This approach enables in-depth understanding of fundamental processes in scintillation and supports the efforts to push the time resolution of scintillation detectors towards 10 ps target. Sophisticated theoretical and advanced experimental research conducted in the last decade is reviewed. Engineering and control of the energy transfer processes in the scintillation materials are addressed. The new era in development of instrumentation for detection of ionizing radiation in high- energy physics experiments, medical imaging and industrial applications is introduced. This book reviews modern trends in the description of the scintillation build up processes in inorganic materials, transient phenomena, and engineering of the scintillation properties. It also provides reliable background of scientific and educational information to stimulate new ideas for readers to implement in their research and engineering. The book is aimed at providing a coherent updated background of scientific and instructive information to stimulate new ideas for readers in their research and engineering.

This book presents the current advances in understanding of the fast excitation transfer processes in inorganic scintillation materials, the discovery of new materials exhibiting excellent time resolution, and the results on the evaluation of timing limits for scintillation detectors. The book considers in-depth basic principles of primary processes in energy relaxation, which play a key role in creating scintillating centers to meet a growing demand for knowledge to develop new materials combining high energy and time resolutions. The rate of relaxation varies. However, the goal is to make it extremely fast, occurring within the ps domain or even shorter. The book focuses on fast processes in scintillation materials. This approach enables in-depth understanding of fundamental processes in scintillation and supports the efforts to push the time resolution of scintillation detectors towards 10 ps target. Sophisticated theoretical and advanced experimental research conducted in the last decade is reviewed. Engineering and control of the energy transfer processes in the scintillation materials are addressed. The new era in development of instrumentation for detection of ionizing radiation in high- energy physics experiments, medical imaging and industrial applications is introduced. This book reviews modern trends in the description of the scintillation build up processes in inorganic materials, transient phenomena, and engineering of the scintillation properties. It also provides reliable background of scientific and educational information to stimulate new ideas for readers to implement in their research and engineering. The book is aimed at providing a coherent updated background of scientific and instructive information to stimulate new ideas for readers in their research and engineering.

This second edition features new chapters highlighting advances in our understanding of the behavior and properties of scintillators, and the discovery of new families of materials with light yield and excellent energy resolution very close to the theoretical limit. The book focuses on the discovery of next-generation scintillation materials and on a deeper understanding of fundamental processes.Such novel materials with high light yield as well as significant advances in crystal engineering offer exciting new perspectives. Most promising is the application of scintillators for precise time tagging of events, at the level of 100 ps or higher, heralding a new era in medical applications and particle physics.Since the discovery of the Higgs Boson with a clear signature in the lead tungstate scintillating blocks of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter detector, the current trend in particle physics is toward very high luminosity colliders, in which timing performance will ultimately be essential to mitigating pile-up problems. New and extremely fast light production mechanisms based on Hot-Intraband-Luminescence as well as quantum confinement are exploited for this purpose.Breakthroughs such as crystal engineering by means of co-doping procedures and selection of cations with small nuclear fragmentation cross-sections will also pave the way for the development of more advanced and radiation-hard materials. Similar innovations are expected in medical imaging, nuclear physics ecology, homeland security, space instrumentation and industrial applications. This second edition also reviews modern trends in our understanding and the engineering of scintillation materials. Readers will find new and updated references and information, as well as new concepts and inspirations to implement in their own research and engineering endeavors.

This second edition features new chapters highlighting advances in our understanding of the behavior and properties of scintillators, and the discovery of new families of materials with light yield and excellent energy resolution very close to the theoretical limit. The book focuses on the discovery of next-generation scintillation materials and on a deeper understanding of fundamental processes.Such novel materials with high light yield as well as significant advances in crystal engineering offer exciting new perspectives. Most promising is the application of scintillators for precise time tagging of events, at the level of 100 ps or higher, heralding a new era in medical applications and particle physics.Since the discovery of the Higgs Boson with a clear signature in the lead tungstate scintillating blocks of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter detector, the current trend in particle physics is toward very high luminosity colliders, in which timing performance will ultimately be essential to mitigating pile-up problems. New and extremely fast light production mechanisms based on Hot-Intraband-Luminescence as well as quantum confinement are exploited for this purpose.Breakthroughs such as crystal engineering by means of co-doping procedures and selection of cations with small nuclear fragmentation cross-sections will also pave the way for the development of more advanced and radiation-hard materials. Similar innovations are expected in medical imaging, nuclear physics ecology, homeland security, space instrumentation and industrial applications. This second edition also reviews modern trends in our understanding and the engineering of scintillation materials. Readers will find new and updated references and information, as well as new concepts and inspirations to implement in their own research and engineering endeavors.