Alpha Particle Energy Resolution in a Liquid Scintillator

Abstract

The resolution of alpha particles of different energies with a liquid scintillator system has been studied for alpha particle energies of 4–7 MeV. In this work the best obtained value of the energy spread, the full width at half-maximum, of the pulse height distributions was 0.058 times the energy of the exciting alpha particle. The pulse height-energy relation for alpha particles between 4 and 7 MeV was shown to be essentially linear but not directly proportional. The quenching effects of ethyl alcohol and di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid were measured. The linewidth and relative pulse height response of the liquid scintillator system for alpha particle excitation were studied as a function of the height and cross sectional area of the sample.