Bragg-curve imaging of 7 MeV protons in a lithium fluoride crystal by fluorescence microscopy of colour centres. (20th February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nichelatti, E.; Piccinini, M.; Ampollini, A.; Picardi, L.; Ronsivalle, C.; Bonfigli, F.; Vincenti, M. A.; Montereali, R. M.
• Is Part Of: Europhysics letters. Volume 120:Number 5(2017:Dec.)
• Publication Date: 2018-02-20
• Subjects: 61.80.-x -- 61.72.jn -- 78.55.Fv; Physics -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/120/56003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0295-5075

Abstract

Abstract: A lithium fluoride crystal slab was irradiated in air with a proton beam of nominal 7 MeV energy at a linear accelerator that is under development at ENEA C.R. Frascati. The irradiation generated a spatial distribution of stable colour centres in the crystal that could be detected as a luminescent image under blue-light excitation in a fluorescence microscope. The reconstruction of the whole Bragg curve from the luminescent image is here demonstrated for the first time by taking into account finite proton-energy bandwidth and saturation of defect concentration due to high absorbed dose. The obtained results confirm lithium fluoride detectors based on visible photoluminescence of radiation-induced aggregate colour centres as reliable candidate devices for advanced proton-beam diagnostics.