Organic Scintillators

This chapter describes the basic electronic processes responsible for scintillation in organic scintillators. It also describes the electronic states in organic molecules in a different manner from that of inorganic solids. The chapter introduces energy transfer processes and discusses representative energy transfer processes. Some effect of ionization and triplet excited states are also introduced in relation with linear energy transfer effects. The chapter introduces various liquid scintillators and discusses the applications and the use of the liquid scintillators. It also introduces organic crystal scintillators and plastic scintillators, which comprise of host organic polymers and fluorescence molecules. Organic–inorganic hybrid scintillators, in which the scintillation originates mainly from the organic molecules, are introduced. Plastic or liquid organic scintillators added or "loaded" with organometallic compounds are also introduced. The chapter also discusses recent development of nanocomposite scintillators as plastic scintillators added with inorganic nanoparticles.