Effect of Delta Rays on Tihe Response of Inorganic Scintillators to Heavy Particles

Experimental results from Yale indicate that the scintillation efficiency of inorganic crystals to heavy particles is not a function of dE/dx alone but is instead composed of a series of discrete functions, one for each incident particle. This paper presents an analysis of these experimental results with attention to the effect of delta rays produced by the primaxy particle. In this treatment the total light emitted per unit path length of the primary is the sum of two contributions: one from the saturation column of the primary particle, and one from those energetic secondary electrons (delta rays) which escape the saturation column and produce light with a high efficiency.