Effects of radiation damage on scintillating fibre calorimetry

Abstract We report on measurements of radiation hardness of plastic scintillating fibres to be used for fibre calorimetry. Fibres were irradiated with a 60 Co γ-source and the effects on the emission and on the attenuation of scintillation light in a number of different fibre types were studied. A Monte Carlo study that simulates radiation damage in a compensating lead/fibre calorimeter and predicts the impact on the performance is described. We infer from these results that with the best fibres that are presently commercially available the effects on calorimeter performance appear to be within acceptable limits up to 7Mrad doses deposited in the scintillator at the peak of the damage.