Lead tungstate (PbWO4) is another highly effective scintillation crystal, widely used in particle physics experiments and other applications that require fast and accurate detection of high-energy particles. Its properties make it particularly suitable for environments where high radiation levels are encountered and where rapid response is crucial.
Properties of Lead Tungstate (PbWO4):
- High Density and Atomic Number: The high density and high atomic number of PbWO4 enable it to effectively absorb high-energy gamma rays and other forms of radiation, which is critical for efficient scintillation performance.
- Fast Response Time: PbWO4 crystals exhibit very fast scintillation decay times, typically in the range of a few nanoseconds, allowing for quick data collection and processing in high-rate environments.
- Radiation Hardness: This material is highly resistant to radiation damage, which makes it suitable for use in high-radiation fields such as those found in particle accelerators and nuclear reactors.
- Low Light Yield: While PbWO4 has a lower light yield compared to other scintillators like CeF3, its quick response time compensates for this, making it highly valued in high-speed applications.
Applications:
- Particle Physics: PbWO4 is extensively used in electromagnetic calorimeters in high-energy physics experiments. These devices measure the energy of particles produced in high-energy collisions, such as those occurring in particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
- Medical Imaging: In some specialized applications, its fast decay time and good stopping power make it suitable for detecting gamma rays in computed tomography (CT) and other imaging techniques that require rapid image capture.
- Aerospace and Space Applications: Due to its resistance to radiation damage, PbWO4 is suitable for space missions that involve radiation detection and measurement in the harsh space environment.
- Nuclear Monitoring: Its use in nuclear safety and monitoring equipment helps in the detection and analysis of radioactive materials, providing vital data for safety assessments and environmental monitoring.
The manufacturing of PbWO4 crystals requires meticulous techniques to achieve the desired optical clarity and structural integrity, essential for maintaining high performance in sophisticated scintillation applications.
Shapeoptics is Able to Offer
- Good quality PbWO4 scintillation crystal
- Good quality PbWO4 crystal blank materials
- OEM service for good quality PbWO4 crystals
Crystal Properties
| Density / g.cm-3 | 8.28 |
| Melting Poin t / ℃ | 1123 |
| Refractive Index | 2.16 |
| Radiation Length / mm | 9.2 |
| Emission Peak / nm | 530 slow; 440 fast |
| Decay Constant / ns | 30 slow; 6 fast |
| Light Output | 0.5% |
| Cleavage Plane | (101) |
PbWO4 as a scintillation crystal, with high density and short radiation length, it was suitable used in nuclear physics.
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