ARI-MA Scale-up to Success: Pioneering Crystal Growth of Large High Resolution Scintillators

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The Scintillation Materials Research Center at the University of Tennessee will carry out research that addresses a critical need in national security. Currently the ability to detect radioactive materials at border crossings and ports of entry is limited by the availability and cost of the materials that are used as radiation sensors. This research will address fundamental aspects of manufacturing technology that directly impact the affordability of the high performance detection materials that are needed for effective high speed scanning of cargo. Innovative synthesis techniques will be developed with the goal of improving the sensitivity and lowering the cost of materials that have the capability of uniquely identifying specific nuclear threats. If successful, this technology will yield improvements in both efficiency and sensitivity of nuclear threat detection as well as significant increases in availability and affordability. The same nuclear detection technology is likely to also find applications to other areas serving the public interest including nuclear medicine and sensors used in the exploration for energy reserves.Specifically, the Scintillation Materials Research Center will address a grand challenge in radiation detection by developing crystal growth technology aimed at enabling the production of large size ( 1 cubic inch) gamma-ray scintillators with less than 1% energy resolution at 662 keV. The properties of currently available detection materials limit the performance of radiation detection systems. For most gamma and neutron detection applications, these materials must be available in large size at a reasonable cost while maintaining the required energy resolution to unambiguously identify various nuclear signatures. For gamma-ray and neutron detection applications, scintillators currently offer more options for room temperature operation and large-scale production while semiconductors tend to have better energy resolution. New fundamental understanding of the materials properties of recently discovered scintillators will be coupled with numerical simulations of fluid flow and heat/mass transport to drive the design of new crystal growth furnaces and new growth protocols aimed at demonstrating the potential of large scale production. The effort will focus on recently discovered scintillators that appear to have inherent advantages for large-scale production. A key strategy of the program is the tight integration of research and education that will provide opportunities for students to develop a deeper knowledge, expertise, and appreciation of this important field.