Scintillating fiber optics and their application in radiographic systems

Research to evaluate scintillating fiber optics (SFOs) as X-ray radiation imaging detectors is presented. Scintillating fiber optics combines scintillating material with a dielectric waveguide. This configuration permits an increase, in thickness of the scintillating material without significant dispersion of light, therefore preserving spatial resolution with increased detection efficiency. This characteristic is advantageous for imaging of high-energy X-rays. A model based on the basic physics of SFOs and the Monte Carlo modeling of radiation was developed. The model provides a basis for analysis of the performance characteristics of SFOs. An experimental evaluation of the performance of SFOs as radiation imaging detectors is reported. In this study, two types of Tb₂O₃-based SFOs were studied using monoenergetic gamma rays and low- and high-energy X-ray sources. The study evaluated the overall detector efficiency by combining experimental measurements and analytical Monte Carlo methods