Comparative study of large NaI(Tl) and BGO scintillators for the EURopean illicit TRAfficking countermeasures kit project

Abstract

The Tagged Neutron Inspection System, which is the principle of the EURITRACK project, requires efficient and inexpensive /spl gamma/-ray detectors. For this purpose, properties of 3''/spl times/3'' and 5''/spl times/5'' cylindrical BGO and NaI(Tl) scintillators and of a 5''/spl times/5''/spl times/10'' rectangular NaI(Tl) scintillator were determined. Light yield, energy and time resolution of the investigated crystals at the energy of few MeVs of /spl gamma/ -rays are emphasized. Additionally, the crystals efficiencies calculated with Monte Carlo simulations are compared to peak-to-total ratios obtained experimentally for various combinations of PMTs and the scintillators.