EMBEDDED WAVESHIFTING FIBER READOUT OF LONG SCINTILLATORS

We have tested a method of reading out light from long scintillators by embedding waveshifting fibers in longitudinal grooves created in the scintillators which are then connected to a photomultiplier (PMT). With PMTs on both ends of the fibers we have obtained attenuation lengths of over 5 m and light outputs of over 5 photoelectrons per MeV from both ends of a 4 m long BC408 scintillator with five embedded 2 mm diameter BCF92 fast green-waveshifting fibers using a Hamamatsu green extended R580-17 PMT. With a reflector at one end of the fibers, we have easily obtained over 10 m attenuation lengths. Also presented are results using inexpensive acrylic scintillators with this method and measurements of a new experimental scintillator from Bicron with over a 5 m attenuation length.