Influence of temperature treatment on radiation stability of plastic scintillator and wavelength shifter

The influence of temperature treatment before or after irradiation on the radiation damage of plastic scintillators and wavelength shifters has been measured. The PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate)-based wavelength shifters show strong recovery for heating in argon after irradiation, whereas the polystyrene-based scintillator SCSN-38 in air suffers from heating not only before but also after irradiation. UV absorbants added to wavelength shifter material Y-7 in PMMA are responsible for additional radiation damage in the scintillator/wavelength shifter system SCSN-38/Y-7 if their cutoff wavelengths are higher than 360 nm.<
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