What is the role of Thallium in NaI scintillators?

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SUMMARY

Thallium (Tl) plays a critical role in enhancing the performance of Sodium Iodide (NaI) scintillators by enabling them to detect gamma rays at elevated temperatures. Pure NaI crystals are limited to low-temperature detection, but the addition of approximately 0.01% Thallium significantly improves their operational range. This modification allows for more versatile applications in radiation detection and nuclear particle identification.

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prochatz
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Hello.

I was wondering what's the purpose of using Thallium (Tl) in Iodine Sodium (NaI) scintillators.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Sodium iodide (NaI) in its pure
state can detect gamma rays only at very low temperatures. By adding a small
amount of Thallium metal to the crystal (about 0.01%), the crystal can detect
gamma rays or nuclear particles at much higher temperatures.
 

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