Luminescence Characteristics of Polystyrene-Based Sensor for Gamma-Rays Detection

The polystyrene-based optical sensor was successfully developed to detect gamma-rays, and it has extensive applications in medical, industrial, and environmental fields. This underscores the importance of thoroughly evaluating the sensor’s performance. The Polystyrene-based optical sensor was constructed using three primary components: polystyrene (derived from styrene monomer) as the matrix, PPO (2,5-Diphenyloxazole) as the fluorescent dye, and POPOP (1,4-Bis(5-phenyloxazol-2-yl) benzene) as the wavelength shifter. The fabrication was carried out using the thermal polymerization method. The sensor’s performance was assessed for its optical and scintillation perspectives. Photoluminescence measurements indicated that commercial and fabricated sensors emit light in the blue region, following similar trends. The pulse height spectra were evaluated using a photomultiplier tube (PMT) targeted by gamma-rays from Cs137. The results showed that the Compton spectrum characteristics of the commercial and fabricated sensors were almost identical, with the light yield being only slightly different: $\mathbf{1 0, 0 0 0}$ photons/MeV for the commercial sensor and $\mathbf{9, 9 8 9}$ photons/MeV for the fabricated sensor. These findings indicate that the fabricated polystyrene-based optical sensor has significant potential for gamma-rays detection, given its performance is comparable to that of commercial sensors.