Scintillation and mechanical properties of CsI:Tl,Br crystals pulled from melt

Abstract

Scintillation and mechanical characteristics of combined CsI(Tl)–CsBr crystals have been studied over the concentration range of cesium bromide 0.1–2.7mass%. In this concentration range, cesium bromide addition has been shown to have no effect on the spectrometric and temporal characteristics of crystals or on their radiation resistance but leads to their significant strengthening. These improved mechanical properties prevent the deformation of large ingots during their pulling from melt onto the seed. The quality of mechanical treatment of the surface of these alloy crystals has a weaker dependence on the crystallographic orientation of the surfaces, thus simplifying the manufacture of scintillators of intricate geometric forms.