塑料闪烁体在高剂量率软X射线辐照下的非线性响应研究

Nonlinear Response of Plastic Scintillator under High-dose-rate Soft X-ray Irradiation

  • 摘要: 塑料闪烁体在高剂量率软X射线辐照下存在非线性响应问题,直接影响其在脉冲辐射场诊断中的应用,因此需针对闪烁探测系统的饱和功率上限开展实验和理论研究。目前国内外主要研究了无机闪烁晶体(例如CeF3、LYSO∶Ce等)的非线性响应,对强脉冲软X射线辐照下塑料闪烁体的剂量率非线性激子动力学研究较少。本文结合无机闪烁体中激子浓度猝灭模型,通过理论建模分析了有机塑料闪烁体发光过程中的非线性响应过程,并给出了塑料闪烁体EJ214在高剂量率下的非线性响应阈值。最后,在Z箍缩强脉冲软X射线辐射场下测量了塑料闪烁体EJ214非线性响应能通密度阈值。实验测试结果为10%非线性响应阈值约为1.68×105 W/cm2,与理论预测结果吻合。将不同激子型闪烁体本征参数代入本文的理论模型可以预测其剂量率非线性阈值,对脉冲X射线诊断具有重要的应用价值。

     

    Abstract: Accurate quantitative diagnosis of pulsed radiation fields, particularly soft X-rays, relies heavily on the linear response of detection materials. Plastic scintillators are widely employed in such diagnostics, especially for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research, owing to their high luminous efficiency and fast temporal response. However, these scintillators exhibit a significant nonlinear response under high-dose-rate soft X-ray irradiation which limits their accuracy and utility. The saturation effect mainly affects in quantifying radiation power of intense pulsed radiation fields. Consequently, detailed experimental and theoretical studies on the saturation power limits of scintillation detection systems utilizing plastic scintillators are essential. While substantial research has been conducted internationally on the nonlinear responses of inorganic scintillation crystals, such as CeF3 and LYSO∶Ce, investigations focusing specifically on the underlying dose-rate nonlinear exciton dynamics within plastic scintillators under intense pulsed soft X-ray radiation remain relatively limited. Addressing this critical gap is the primary objective of this study. The research methodology combined theoretical modeling with experimental validation. Building on the established framework of exciton concentration quenching models used for inorganic scintillators, detailed exciton dynamics modeling and analysis were performed to elucidate the mechanisms of nonlinear response during the luminescence of organic plastic scintillators. This theoretical approach provided a specific prediction for the nonlinear response threshold of the plastic scintillator EJ-214 under high soft X-ray dose-rates. Subsequent experimental verification was carried out. Samples of plastic scintillator EJ-214 were subjected to the intense pulsed soft X-ray radiation field generated by a Z-pinch facility. Precise measurements of the scintillator’s light output at different incident power densities enabled the accurate determination of the energy flux density threshold corresponding to the onset of measurable nonlinearity. The energy flux density threshold corresponding to a 10% nonlinear response of the plastic scintillator EJ214 under pulsed soft X-ray irradiation is measured as 1.68×105 W/cm2. Crucially, this experimentally determined threshold demonstrates excellent quantitative agreement with the theoretical prediction of this model. A key result of this work is the successful quantification of the nonlinear response threshold for plastic scintillator EJ-214 under high-dose-rate soft X-ray irradiation. Furthermore, the established theoretical exciton dynamics model exhibits significant predictive power and broad applicability. By substituting the intrinsic parameters characteristic of different exciton-type scintillators, such as organic plastic variants or inorganic crystals, into the model framework, it is now possible to predict their specific dose-rate nonlinearity thresholds. This predictive capability is a key outcome with considerable practical value for the field of quantitative pulsed X-ray diagnostics. It provides essential guidance for the selection of appropriate scintillator materials with a sufficient linear dynamic range for specific high-intensity applications, guides the design of future diagnostic systems, and supports the development of potential correction strategies to mitigate saturation effects, which can enhance the reliability of radiation power measurements in demanding environments like ICF experiments and Z-pinch research.

     

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