Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of four novel inorganic scintillation detectors (ISDs) with varying temperatures for use in radiotherapy. The ISDs were subjected to a range of temperatures (16 to 40°C) using a temperature controlled water bath and were irradiated at each temperature, while the spectral output and the signal intensity were examined using a spectrometer. Four scintillating powders were used in the ISDs: Gd 2 O 2 S:Tb, Gd 2 O 2 S:Pr, Gd 2 O 2 S:Eu, ZnS:Ag. The performance of both the Gd 2 O 2 S:Eu and ZnS:Ag scintillators were relatively poor under these measurement conditions, producing low signal-to-noise ratios. Thus, no conclusion could be drawn about their temperature dependence. The Gd 2 O 2 S:Pr ISD exhibited a 0.24% decrease in intensity per °C relative to the lowest temperature measurement. A temperature dependence in the signal uncertainty was also examined and found to be 0.3% per °C. On the other hand, no significant relationship was found to exist between the signal intensity and temperature for the Gd 2 O 2 S:Tb fiber. However, like the Gd 2 O 2 S:Pr fiber, a similar temperature dependence in its signal uncertainty was found; a 0.3% increase in signal uncertainty per °C.