Performance of a Thallium Chloride Scintiliator as a Total Absorption Shower Cascade Detector

Studies have been made of the performance of a large sample of the new heavy scintillator TlCl(Be,I) as a total absorption shower cascade (TASC) detector for high energy electrons and gamma rays. The observed energy resolution for electrons in the range 0.1 to 15 GeV is reported and compared to a Monte Carlo calculation of expected fluctuations in energy leakage from the crystal volume. The performance of this new scintillator and its potential applications are discussed.