Characteristics of SrBPO 5:Ce 3+ based materials as a neutron storage phosphor

Abstract

Characteristics of SrBPO 5:Ce 3+ based materials have been investigated as a neutron storage phosphor. The authors found that the SrBPO 5:Ce 3+ phosphor shows photostimulated luminescence (PSL) by illumination with 635 nm laser light after neutron irradiation. The PSL yields of SrBPO 5:Ce 3+ phosphor were increased by adding SrF 2. The red laser seemed to be efficient to produce PSL signal from the results of PSL excitation spectrum measurement. The PSL yields, per unit neutron fluence, of SrBPO 5:Ce 3++SrF 2 sample were proportional to E −0.5, where E is neutron energy. The S γ/ S n ratio of the phosphor was one order of magnitude lower compared to that of a commercially available imaging plate, where S γ and S n are the gamma and neutron sensitivities, respectively. The low S γ/ S n ratio indicates that the phosphor has good gamma-ray rejection characteristics as a neutron detector. The phosphor might be a candidate for a new neutron imaging plate having less gamma-ray sensitivity.