Phoswich Detector for Simultaneous Measuring Alpha/beta Particles

The new type phoswich detector consisting of the ZnS(Ag) and plastic scintillator for alpha/beta-ray simultaneous counting was developed for monitoring radiological contamination inside pipes. The detection performance was estimated using the PSD (pulse shape discrimination) method as a function of distance between the scintillator and radioactive source. The attenuation of particles traveling through a thin film for preventing the detector from being contaminated was experimentally estimated. It is concluded from our investigation that the phoswich detector developed can provide a sufficient alpha/beta-ray discrimination. The application of a thin film for preventing the detector from being contaminated was proven to be feasible.