Fracture and deformation behavior of common and novel scintillating single crystals

The ability to manufacture large scale scintillating crystals is directly linked to the mechanical properties of the crystal. In this paper, estimated mechanical properties, including hardness, modulus, and fracture toughness of novel and established scintillating single crystals including CsI(T1), CdWO4, NaI(T1), and LaBr3(Ce). Lanthanum and cerium halide crystals have shown particular promise as scintillating materials because of their high luminosity and proportional response. However, the ability to manufacture large crystals of these materials is limited by their low fracture toughness. The mechanical properties of all the crystals are discussed in terms of the materia Is' deformation and fracture mechanisms and resulting manufacturability.