liquid scintillator
Quick Summary
A liquid scintillator is a type of active detector used to indicate the presence of ionizing radiation in real time. These detectors work by converting the energy deposited by radiation into light flashes, or scintillations.123
Organic molecules with specific electron structures, known as organic scintillators, exhibit prompt fluorescence when excited by ionizing particles. These can be in the form of liquid solutions, where a fluorescent molecule is dissolved in a solvent like toluene. Sometimes, a third component is added to shift the light's wavelength for better detection by devices like photomultiplier tubes.1
Liquid scintillators are particularly useful for detecting low-energy beta particles, such as those emitted by hydrogen-3 or carbon-14. This is because the sample can be dissolved directly into the scintillator, ensuring that the short-range beta particles are immediately absorbed and their emitted light can be detected.1
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