Multi-tile zinc-oxide-based radiation-hard fast scintillation counter for relativistic heavy-ion beam diagnostics: prototype design and test

Abstract

This contribution summarizes the design and performance test of a prototype radiation-hard fast scintillation detector based on the indium-doped zinc oxide ceramic scintillator, ZnO(In). The prototype detector has been developed for use as a beam diagnostics tool for high-energy beam lines of the SIS18 synchrotron at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research GmbH. The new detector consists of multiple ZnO(In) scintillating ceramics tiles stacked on the front and back sides of a borosilicate light guide. The performance of the detector was tested in comparison to a standard plastic scintillation detector with 300 MeV/u energy 40Ar, 197Au, 208Pb, and 238U ion beams. The investigated prototype exhibits 100% counting efficiency and radiation hardness of a few orders of magnitude higher than the standard plastic scintillation counter. Therefore, it provides an improved beam diagnostics tool for relativistic heavy-ion beam measurements.