HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTROMAGNETIC CALORIMETRY BASED ON INORGANIC SCINTILLATORS

Abstract

The concept and performance of electromagnetic calorimetry is closely related to the development, progress and technology of inorganic scintillator crystals. The elementary interaction processes of the probes to be studied and the experimental conditions and goals of the various physics programs determine the applicability of the different materials. The paper gives an overview of the major calorimeters, which are presently in operation, in construction or outlined in various proposals. The experimental conditions, which incline to higher beam luminosities, interaction rates and projectile energies, favor fast, compact and radiation hard scintillators with sufficient luminescence yield. Presently PbWO4 fulfills most of these requirements, except its light yield. Therefore, new materials, which are under development for medical applications, could come close to the ideal product, if the technology for mass production of large size crystals can be achieved.