Prototype of a scintillation detector involving APD photodetectors

A prototype of a new scintillation detector involving APD photodetectors is discussed. The prototype in question consists of a plastic scintillator 96 × 96 × 128 mm in size. Grooves into which a wavelength-shifting fiber is laid are made on lateral faces of the scintillator. A photodiode equipped with a special amplifier is arranged at the end of this fiber. The results of testing the detector prototype in a proton beam are presented. It is shown that the amplitude of the signal in the prototype changes substantially (by a factor of three to five) with the coordinate of a particle as it traverses the prototype. Thus, the proposed design is position-sensitive. Also, the neutron-detection efficiency was calculated with the aid of the GEANT3 code package.