Plastic scintillators are sensitive to X-rays, gamma rays, fast neutrons and charged particles.
- The scintillation emission of a typical plastic scintillator has a maximum of around 425 nm.
- Plastic scintillators are characterized by a relatively large light output — typically 25-30% of NaI(Tl) — and a short decay time of around 2 ns.
This makes the material suited for fast timing measurements.
The exact emission wavelength and decay time depend on the type of organic activator and on the host material.
A large number of different plastic scintillators are available, each for a specific application. General characteristics of plastic scintillators are presented in the physical constants table below.
Plastic scintillators are produced in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Cast sheets are the most commonly used forms. You also can obtain precision thin sheets, rods, annuli, and large rectangular blocks.
You can now order plastic scintillator detectors already assembled with a PMT and voltage divider in different dimensions and for a wide range of applications: gamma, beta/gamma, alpha/beta, etc.