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spenceraxani / CosmicWatch-Desktop-Muon-Detector

OUTDATED! Please do not use this repository for building new detectors. This repository if for the supplementary material used to build the Version 1 of the CosmicWatch Desktop Muon Detectors
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What exactly to order for the Plastic scintilator? #1

Open mbanders opened 6 years ago

mbanders commented 6 years ago

Hi, nice guide by the way!

We have a question about this item in the Purchasing_List.xlsx:

35 Plastic scintillator 1 5x5x1 cm Plastic scintillator You want something that peaks in the 400nm range.

Could you be more specific about a good place to order this from? There are a lot of options in a lot of different sizes, but we haven't been able to find specifically this size with a "peak in the 400nm range". Do you buy a big piece and cut it yourself?

spenceraxani commented 6 years ago

Hello,

Thanks for you interest in the project. I would definitely recommend sticking to scintillator that is 1cm thick and has a peak emission around 420nm and somewhere around 10,000 photons per MeV deposited. The thickness was chosen to be 1cm for several reasons. Most importantly, a minimum ionizing muon passing through 1cm of scintillator will emit more photons than the average background event. This gives us some ability do distinguish between a muon and say a radiogenic gamma ray. Also, 1cm is a very common size for scintillator and most likely going to be cheaper when purchasing from a manufacturer. It also fits well into the aluminum enclosure.

We use scintillator that comes extruded in long bars that have a cross section of 5cm x 1cm. We cut this into 5cm pieces and mill/flame polish the surface (description in paper). Physics departments and labs often use scintillator for cosmic ray detection and we’ve been lucky enough to find multiple schools who have had left over from previous experiments. We’ve seen people purchase scintillator from Eljen and Saint-Gobain, but this is often relatively expensive since their scintillator is manufactured in molds. We’ve also seen people purchase scintillator from Ebay, occasionally it pops up online and is very cheap. I’ve also talked with people who are trying to make their own scintillator, but have no information on how easy that is.

Please let me know if you need more information.

Thanks,

Spencer

On Nov 29, 2017, at 1:54 PM, Mike Anderson notifications@github.com wrote:

Hi, nice guide by the way!

We have a question about this item in the Purchasing_List.xlsx:

35 Plastic scintillator 1 5x5x1 cm Plastic scintillator You want something that peaks in the 400nm range. Could you be more specific about a good place to order this from? There are a lot of options in a lot of different sizes, but we haven't been able to find specifically this size with a "peak in the 400nm range". Do you buy a big piece and cut it yourself?

— You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/spenceraxani/CosmicWatch-Desktop-Muon-Detector/issues/1, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABpeu-6k9M7m9HatiiTVGbYUeNoE9KJYks5s7baPgaJpZM4QviN9.

mbanders commented 6 years ago

I found a seller of scinitilator on ebay and he made a special listing of the specific size. Does this look good to use? https://www.ebay.com/itm/263355405917

spenceraxani commented 6 years ago

Hi,

I think that looks pretty good. Although the seller doesn’t specify the properties of the scintillator, they do say that you can use it with a PMT, which is a pretty good indication that it emits in the ~400nm range.

Thanks,

Spencer

On Nov 30, 2017, at 10:09 PM, Mike Anderson notifications@github.com wrote:

I found a seller of scinitilator on ebay and he made a special listing of the specific size. Does this look good to use? https://www.ebay.com/itm/263355405917 https://www.ebay.com/itm/263355405917 — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/spenceraxani/CosmicWatch-Desktop-Muon-Detector/issues/1#issuecomment-348396383, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABpeu1iGftl_kAaygCXA4r2eTkWAUTJQks5s73wKgaJpZM4QviN9.

NuclearPhoenixx commented 4 years ago

For anybody also searching here for a scintillator in general or want to do some experimenting on your own I can also recommend this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Plastic-Scintillation-Material-Radiation-Scintillator-Crystal/200664890714 It's cut on the long sides and not polished so keep that in mind, but it's a really good price for what you get IMHO.