Study on Characteristics of Epoxy Resin-Based Plastic Scintillators for Detectors with Simulation Using Monte Carlo Code

Abstract

Abstract To determine the presence of radioactive materials emitting gamma rays entering or exiting nuclear facilities, ports, airports, international borders, or other strategic locations, radiation portal monitors (RPMs) capable of detecting such gamma radiation need to be installed in these places. National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) is currently developing RPMs with detector components made of plastic scintillator based on epoxy resin and augmented with aromatic fluorescent materials to produce visible light, which is the working range of the photomultiplier tube (PMT) or silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). This research aims to study the characteristics of the gamma photon radiation energy spectrum from Co-60, Cs-137, and Ir-192 sources in an epoxy resin plastic scintillator and study the absorbed dose of the scintillator to gamma photon radiation energy from Co-60, Cs-137, and Ir-192 sources as a function of source distance and incidence angle of gamma rays with simulations using the MCNPX code. The scintillator is modeled in the form of a cylinder with a diameter of 5 cm and a height of 5 cm. To simulate the gamma photon radiation energy spectrum in the scintillator, the F4 tally was used and to simulate the scintillator absorbed dose, the F6 tally was used. This simulation used gamma sources of Co-60, Cs-137, and Ir-192 of 1 mCi each. These characteristics of the epoxy resin plastic scintillator have been successfully simulated. Data on the characteristics of epoxy resin plastic scintillators is important to know and study as supporting data in making plastic detectors as part of the manufacture and development of RPM.