Development of Multi-mode Organic Glass Scintillators for Nuclear Physics Applications

In a collaborative effort, Radiation Monitoring Devices (RMD), Sandia National Laboratory (SNL), and Michigan State University (MSU) are developing standard as well as tin-loaded Organic Glass Scintillators (OGS) that offer effective fast neutron detection, fast response, excellent pulse shape discrimination (PSD), as well as gamma-ray spectroscopy in a single detector for nuclear physics applications. We have fabricated high quality clear samples of tin-loaded OGS via melt-casting method. The polymer blend OGS version allows for scale up to large sizes. MSU results indicate that low energy threshold for PSD, excellent timing resolution and higher gain compared to commercially available organic scintillators make OGS highly suitable for neutron detection in nuclear physics experiments.