Dual parameter analysis of CsI:Tl/PMT with a digital oscilloscope

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 1999-10, Vol.435 (3), p.433-436
• Main Authors: DeVol, T.A, Tan, H, Fjeld, R.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alpha particles; CsI:Tl; Digital signal processing; Gamma rays; Pulse shape discrimination
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-9002(99)00577-X

Scintillation pulses from alpha-particle and gamma-ray excited CsI:Tl were recorded with a photomultiplier tube and digital oscilloscope card in single parameter (pulse shape or pulse height) and dual parameter (simultaneous pulse shape and pulse height) modes. A 2.8×1.3×1.3 cm 3 CsI:Tl crystal was coupled to a Burle 8850 photomultiplier tube (PMT) and excited with 148 Gd ( E α=3.18 MeV) and 137 Cs ( E γ=0.662 MeV). The timing pulses (50 Ω terminated dynode signal) from the PMT base were directly input to a GaGe CompuScope 8012A/PCI TM (12-bit, 50 MHz dual channel digital oscilloscope card) that resided in a P6-300 MHz personal computer. Individual digitized pulses were processed via a LabVIEW TM V 4.1 interface to the oscilloscope. The ratio of the charge collected over a short time interval to the total charge collected was used for the single parameter pulse shape spectrum while the total charge collected was used for the single parameter pulse height spectrum. The dual parameter spectrum was produced by displaying the pulse shape and pulse height information for individual pulses on a 2-D grid. The digital oscilloscope with LabVIEW TM interface offers a versatile data acquisition system for pulse shape, pulse height and dual-parameter analyses.