Effects of absorption and reemission of photons in large scintillation counters on the quantities measured by an observing phototube

The absorption and reemission process occurring in scintillation counters of extended size plays an important role in determining the time distribution of the photons detected by a single phototube observing the scintillator, as well as the relevant detection probability. In this paper, a methodology to evaluate both these quantities is outlined, with specific reference to spherical scintillator geometry. Besides providing useful analytical formulations, this work is mainly intended to give a thorough insight to this complex phenomenon, showing how each physical step is reflected in the corresponding mathematical description.