The Many Uses Of Scintillation Counters
Scintillation counters are instruments which use transparent materials to measure ionizing radiation
. Transparency is an essential quality of any effective counter, since the material needs to be transparent to the luminescent radiation which it produces itself. The most commonly used materials for scintillation counting are transparent crystalline materials, glass, plastics and even gases. The scintillating medium used in these counters is usually a solid, but may be a liquid or gas as well. The most important quality of the medium is that it has to be extremely transparent, since many of these instruments are very large, being meters long.
Radiation counters and particle counters are often made using the same scintillation detection technologies and are also scintillation counters in all but name. Light emanating from the scintillating medium is measured by a photomultiplier tube which is in turn fed through an amplifier and as often as not computers in order to provide an accurate measurement of the light detected by the photomultiplier.
These instruments are relatively inexpensive to produce while being a reliable method of particle detection which is also incredibly versatile. Used in radiation monitoring (especially low level radiation) monitoring, mineral and petroleum exploration and recovery, quality control procedures in the production of certain goods, medical diagnostics and a wide range of scientific research applications, scintillation counters provide a cost effective and accurate particle detection solution for many environments.
One of the applications for scintillation counting devices which may be the most familiar to the layman is in the form of radiation detection equipment now commonly in use at sites which are likely security risks. Ports, bridges, airports, border crossings and other cargo transport hubs are places where you may see these very adaptable ionizing radiation detectors in use (though you may have to look carefully to spot them). Another place where you may see these instruments used are larger subway stations where the detonation of a low-grade nuclear weapon is perceived to be a risk.
Many emergency personnel carry small scintillation counters to assess if an accident or crime scene poses a radiation hazard - these smaller handheld counters are of course not nearly as powerful as their larger cousins, but provide vital hazard assessment data in emergency situations where this information can prevent serious harm to bystanders if received in time.
As one more example of the versatility of scintillation counting instruments, these devices can double as a spectrometer the only adjustment needed is in the interpretation of the results, with no alterations needed to the instrument itself. Whether as an ad-hoc spectrometer, to measure low level radiation in the interest of protecting the public safety from the hazards of natural and manmade disasters, accidents, quality control, border and port security, the diagnosis of disease through the use of scintillation counters in medical imaging applications or determining the properties of various analytes in research laboratories worldwide, these particle detectors are one of the workhorses in the field of applied sciences. As flexible in design and cost as they are in use, accurate, reliable scintillation counting confers a large number of benefits to all humanity.
by: Andrew Long
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