Fast light of CsI(Na) crystals

The responses of different common alkali halide crystals to alpha-rays and gamma-rays are tested in this research. It is found that only CsI(Na) crystals have significantly different waveforms between alpha and gamma scintillations, while others do not exhibit this phenomena. The rise time of the fast light is about 5 ns and the decay time is 17±12 ns. It is suggested that the fast light of CsI(Na) crystals arises from the recombination of free electrons with self-trapped holes of the host crystal CsI. Self-absorption limits the emission of fast light of CsI(Tl) and NaI(Tl) crystals.