Characterization of nanoparticles diluted in a solvent employed for the development of nanoscintillator detectors

We will study the total cross section of a system of nanoparticles diluted in a solvent, which is of interest in the development of nanoscintillator detectors. Nanoparticles of LaF3 activated with Ce, Yb and Gd diluted in a transparent medium are potentially useful for the detection of thermal neutrons and gamma radiation, by absorption of the neutron by the Gadolinium with the subsequent emission of a cascade of high-energy gammas, converted to visible light by the Yb and Ce atoms in the detection range of commercial photomultiplier tubes. Interaction of neutrons in such diluted systems produces a SANS effect, with a quantifiable contribution in the total cross section, that can be used to characterize the average size of the particles. Although this method has been little studied to date, it is an alternative for rapid characterization, in addition to the known SANS technique.