Strong enhancement of electromagnetic shower development in oriented scintillating crystals and implications for particle detectors

Abstract A particle traversing a crystal aligned with one of its crystallographic axes experiences a strong electromagnetic field that is constant along the direction of motion over macroscopic distances. For "Equation missing" and $$\gamma $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:math> -rays with energies above a few $$\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:math> , this field is amplified by the Lorentz boost, to the point of exceeding the Schwinger critical field $$\mathcal {E}_0 \sim 1.32 \times 10^{16}~\mathrm {V/cm}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>E</mml:mi> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.32</mml:mn> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> <mml:mn>16</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mi>cm</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> . In this regime, nonlinear quantum-electrodynamical effects occur, such as the enhancement of intense electromagnetic radiation emission and pair production, so that the electromagnetic shower development is accelerated and the effective shower length is reduced compared to amorphous materials. We have investigated this phenomenon in lead tungstate ( $$\textrm{PbWO}_4$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mtext>PbWO</mml:mtext> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:math> ), a high- Z scintillator widely used in particle detection. We have observed a substantial increase in scintillation light at small incidence angles with respect to the main lattice axes. Measurements with $$120~\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>120</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> electrons and $$\gamma $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:math> -rays between 5 and $$100~\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>100</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> demonstrate up to a threefold increase in energy deposition in oriented samples. These findings challenge the current models of shower development in crystal scintillators and could guide the development of next-generation accelerator- and space-borne detectors.

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Publication Details

Journal
The European Physical Journal C
Published
2025-11-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-14967-4
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Crystallography and Radiation Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.52

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article

Strong enhancement of electromagnetic shower development in oriented scintillating crystals and implications for particle detectors

N. Argiolas, Francesco Sgarbossa, V. Mascagna, Viktar Haurylavets et al.
2 citations
The European Physical Journal C
Crystallography and Radiation Phenomena
2.52
article

Strong enhancement of electromagnetic shower development in oriented scintillating crystals and implications for particle detectors

N. Argiolas, Francesco Sgarbossa, V. Mascagna, Viktar Haurylavets, E. Vallazza, D. De Salvador, Mikhail Korzhik, M. Prest, C. Petroselli, A. Mazzolari, L. Bomben, Виктор Тихомиров, Alexei Sytov, A. Selmi, M. Soldani, Vincenzo Guidi, G. Paternò, P. Monti-Guarnieri, Leonardo Perna, C. Brizzolari, Lorenzo Malagutti, L. Bandiera, N. Canale, Giulia Lezzani, M. Romagnoni, V. Mechinsky, R. Negrello, M. Moulson, S. Carsi, N. Charitonidis, S. Mangiacavalli, Federico Ronchetti, Alexander S. Lobko, Giosué Saibene
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Abstract A particle traversing a crystal aligned with one of its crystallographic axes experiences a strong electromagnetic field that is constant along the direction of motion over macroscopic distances. For "Equation missing" and $$\gamma $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:math> -rays with energies above a few $$\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:math> , this field is amplified by the Lorentz boost, to the point of exceeding the Schwinger critical field $$\mathcal {E}_0 \sim 1.32 \times 10^{16}~\mathrm {V/cm}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>E</mml:mi> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.32</mml:mn> <mml:mo>×</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> <mml:mn>16</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mi>cm</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> . In this regime, nonlinear quantum-electrodynamical effects occur, such as the enhancement of intense electromagnetic radiation emission and pair production, so that the electromagnetic shower development is accelerated and the effective shower length is reduced compared to amorphous materials. We have investigated this phenomenon in lead tungstate ( $$\textrm{PbWO}_4$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mtext>PbWO</mml:mtext> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:math> ), a high- Z scintillator widely used in particle detection. We have observed a substantial increase in scintillation light at small incidence angles with respect to the main lattice axes. Measurements with $$120~\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>120</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> electrons and $$\gamma $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:math> -rays between 5 and $$100~\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>100</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> demonstrate up to a threefold increase in energy deposition in oriented samples. These findings challenge the current models of shower development in crystal scintillators and could guide the development of next-generation accelerator- and space-borne detectors.

The European Physical Journal CVol. 85(11)
University of Insubria (IT), University of Padua (IT), University of Trieste (IT), University of Ferrara (IT), Belarusian State University (BY), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Ferrara (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano Bicocca (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste (IT), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH), European Organization for Nuclear Research (CH), University of Brescia (IT)
CERN, European Commission, Commissione Scientifica Nazionale 5, Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Crystallography and Radiation Phenomena
2.52
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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