NUCLEAR

INSTRUMENTS
Nuclear Instruments and Methods m Physics Research A 336 (1993) 330-335 & METHODS
North-Holland IN PHYSICS
RESEARCH
Section A

A broad-band position-sensitive phoswich detector

for gamma-ray astronomy
Z. He and D . Ramsden
Physics Department, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK S09 5NH

Received 7 May 1993

A position-sensitive phoswich detector designed to cover a wide energy band from 15 keV to 1 MeV has been investigated . The
detector concept is based on the use of an array of discrete 1 x 1 x 5 cm phoswich scintillation bars, the top 3 cm of which is
CsI(Na) whilst the rear 2 cm is a GSO (Cerium-doped Gadolinium Orthosiltcate Gd 2 Si05(Ce), [1,21) veto crystal . The array is
viewed by a single position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT). The test results show that energy resolution ranges from 31%
FWHM at 60 keV to 13% FWHM at 511 keV. The FWHM of the point-spread function for the location of each event is smaller
than the cross section of a single bar over the entire energy range. This guarantees good separation between energy deposits in
adjacent bars. The outputs from the CsI(Na) main detectors and GSO veto crystals can be distinguished by a simple pulse-shape
discriminator (PSD). Those multi-bar events which deposit energy only in the CsI(Na) array can be recognised using the position
sensing capability of the tube . When used in conjunction with a coded-mask imaging system, an array of such detector modules
could provide a competitive telescope for a future gamma-ray astronomy mission.

1. Introduction CsI(Na) provides the main detector whilst the rear 2

In order to image hard X-ray and low-energy
gamma-rays, some telescopes have incorporated multi-
wire proportional counters as the position-sensitive
detector [3]. Whilst their energy and position-resolu-
tions are superior to that of scintillation detectors,
their stopping power is inadequate above 100 keV.
Other telescopes for use at higher energies have
been constructed using Anger cameras [4,5]. In this
case, it is difficult to reduce the low energy threshold
below 40 keV since, in order to find the location of the
event, the scintillation light must be shared between
several tubes.
A gamma-ray detector based on the use of discrete
CsI(Tl) scintillation bars coupled to photodiodes has
been proposed for the INTEGRAL imager [6]. This
proposal envisages the use of three layers of CsI bars
to cover the energy range from 50 keV to 10 MeV. The
dark current of the diodes and the noise in the pream-
plifier, limit the low energy threshold to above 50 keV.
The INTEGRAL imager will use more than 7000
CsI(TI) detectors and each of them will require its own
signal processing channel.
An investigation of a broad-band position-sensitive
gamma-ray detector which covers the energy range
from 15 keV to 1 MeV has been carried out. The basic
detection element consists of 1 x 1 X 5 cm CsI(Na)-
GSO phoswich scintillation bars. The top 3 cm of
cm of GSO provides the active veto shield . A group of
80 bars are viewed by a single 5 in . diameter position-
sensitive photomultiplier tube [7] to make a single
detector module. The detection plane for the proposed
telescope would be constructed using a 5 X 5 array of
such modules. This system would have a low enough
energy threshold to enable observations to be made
over an energy range which overlaps that of the classi-
cal X-ray observations up to the MeV region m a single
detector . Moreover, the electronic read-out system is
very simple . Signals from each group of 80 scintillation
elements are read out by a single PSPMT which has
only four anode and one last-dynode outputs. The
results of experimental tests and Monte Carlo simula-
tions have demonstrated the good performance of this
system and show that it could form the basis of a
future gamma-ray telescope with competitive imaging
and sensitivity characteristics [8,9].
2. System configuration
The schematic diagram of a simplified system which
has only 2 x 2 detector modules is shown in fig. 1 . The
main detector consists of 1 x 1 X 3 cm CsI(Na) bars .
CsI(Na) has a better scintillation efficiency than CsI(TI)
when viewed by photomultiplier tubes [10,11]. This
should enable us to reach a sufficiently low energy

0168-9002/93/$06 .00 © 1993 - Elsevier Science Publishers B .V. All rights reserved
 Z. He, D . Ramsden / Broad-band position-sensitive phoswich detector 331

threshold and whilst providing a better stopping power
for gamma-rays than Nal(TI). CsI(Na) is reported to be
hygroscopic but it deteriorates much more slowly than
Nal(Tl). This property makes it easier to use since the
laboratory tests can be carried out using exposed crys-
tals. Each CsI(Na) bar is optically coupled to a 2 cm
long GSO veto crystal which has the same cross sec-
tion .
GSO has a density of 6.7 gm/cm3 and an effective
atomic number of 59 which make it very suitable for
use as a veto shield . Furthermore, the decay time of
GSO is only 60 ns which is much shorter than that of
Csl(Na), and so enables the use of a simple pulse-shape
discrimination circuit to distinguish events from the
different crystals effectively.
Since the circular 13 cm diameter Hamamastu
R3292 PSPMT tube has a position-sensitive area 10 cm
in diameter, 80 of these phoswich detector elements,
which are optically isolated to each other, can be
tessellated together and viewed by a single PSPMT. As
can be seen in fig. 1, each detector assembly is inti-
mately surrounded by four BGO crystals which extend
from the bottom of the GSO veto crystals to 7 cm
above the surface of CsI(Na). It provides an active
shield which defines a field of view of 71° FWHM . A
passive collimator can be used in front of the CsI(Na)
crystals to reduce the field of view to a few degrees
corresponding to the field of view of the coded mask .
These BGO veto crystals are viewed by conventional
photomultiplier tubes. Every CsI(Na) bar can veto other
Csl(Na) crystals in the same detector and all CsI(Na)
bars are actively shielded by the GSO layer at the
bottom and by BGO crystals around them .
The background level expected in this system will
be very low since the CsI detectors are very well
shielded by active materials. When this system is used
with a coded mask two meters above the detection
plane, it would have an angular resolution of 17'
FWHM and a point source location accuracy of l'
could be expected for bright sources.
3. Detector design
3.1 . Main detector length
Since this telescope covers a wide energy range
from 15 keV to 1 MeV. It is impossible to optimise the
detector over the whole energy band and a compro-
mise must be made . The detector length has been
optimised for use at 511 keV which is of great astro-
physical significance when observing, for example, the
Galactic Centre region, black hole candidates and nu-
cleosynthesis processes in many other objects.
Previous studies of the background produced in
scintillation gamma-ray detectors have shown that the
background noise is roughly proportional to the vol-
ume of the detector for energies above about 200 keV
[12] . Thus for a detector consisting of bars having a
certain cross-section, the background counting rate
around 500 keV is proportional to the length (L) of the
main detector . It can be expressed in eq . (1):
B=CL .
B is the background rate, C is a constant which pro-
portional to the area of the detector . L is the length of
the main detector.
When single-bar events are selected at 511 keV, the
detected signal flux (S) would be proportional to the
full energy detection efficiency of single bar events

\
1
_- ( "1 - 1 - 1
rov / r Collimator - BGO crystal
F , Plastic
veto counter

IIIIIIIIII
Position
" une ~ sensitive
PMT BGo
lyllllllll Veto Main
detector
11I"""""""""" """""""""" Csl(Na) Csl(Na)
gnangnan
/ \ ii
` " Bars

n
Veto (GSO)

Veto
\_ "~" ( u PMT
l """""""" """""""" \ Position sensitive
BGO
Rang crystal
PMT

gaz@ Rang

Last X,, Xs Yc YD
Dynode

Fig. 1. A Simplified 2 x 2 module configuration . (a) Plan view. (b) Section.

332 Z He, D. Ramsden / Broad-band position -sensitre"e phoswich detector
N 1) The light collection efficiency for a scintillation
N would result in both a higher low-energy threshold and
0
0
N keV is a little less than 9 mm .
Bar Length (cm)
Fig. 2. The parameter SNR/k plotted as a function of bar
length for different cross sections at 511 keV. Cross-section :
o = 0.5 cm2 0 = 1 cm 2 , * = 1 .5 cm 2.
(FEDE,). The signal to noise ratio (SNR) at 511 keV
can be written as equation 2.
SNR = S/JB = k X FEDE,/ v/L . (2)
Here, k is a constant which depends on the cross
section of the bar and the FEDE, is the full energy
detection efficiency of single bar events at 511 keV.
The values of FEDE s for different lengths have been
obtained from Monte Carlo simulations (GEANT3).
Three different detector cross sections (0 .5, 1 and 1 .5
cm square) have been studied . The values of SNR/k
as a function of the detector length have been plotted
in fig. 2. It can be seen that the SNR/k reaches
maximum at L = 3 cm regardless of the cross section
of the bar.
At low energies, the background arises mainly from
the cosmic diffuse flux entering the aperture and the
SNR depends strongly on the solid angle of the aper-
ture and will not be significantly improved if a thinner
detector were used . At high energies, close to I MeV,
the detection efficiency falls as a consequence of the
lower interaction probability . However, this detection
efficiency will still provide useful information for strong
sources.
3.2 . Cross section of bars
Since the angular resolution of the system, when
used in conjunction with a coded aperture mask, is
limited by the ratio of the width of the detection
elements to the distance to the mask, one would like to
make the cross-section area of each phoswich element
as small as possible . However, this must be balanced by
other considerations .
counter bar falls rapidly if the ratio of the length to its
width of the bar exceeds about 5 [131 . This loss of light
poorer energy resolution .
2) The FWHM of the point-spread function of the
location of the signals at the lowest energy must be
smaller than the cross section of each detection ele-
ment in order to minimise the ambiguity of the loca-
tion . The FWHM of the point-spread function at 15
In view of these considerations, a moderate cross
section of 1 cm 2 has been chosen for this system .
3.3. Length of GSO veto crystal
Since the ratio of the length to width of the phoswich
detector needs to be kept to not more then 5 in order
to preserve the energy resolution and low energy
threshold, the length of the GSO veto crystal was
consequently restrained to 2 cm . One would have pre-
ferred to use a thicker veto crystal, but the impact on
the overall sensitivity of the instrument is small and the
current design represents a good trade-off between
these parameters.
4. Detection and shielding efficiency
The full-energy detection efficiency of the system
for normal incident gamma-rays has been investigated
using Monte Carlo simulations (GEANT3) and the
results are shown in fig. 3. The efficiency of both the
single-bar and multi-bar events are presented. For sim-
plicity, the Monte Carlo simulations were carried out
using a detector module consisting of a 9 X 9 array of 1
cm 2 phoswich bars, since it has the same effective area
0 0
N
0
0
Energy (keV)
Fig. 3. Full energy detection efficiency as a function of energy.
* : Multi-bar event, o Single-bar event.
 Z. He, D . Ramsden / Broad-band position -sensctiue phoswich detector 333

Table 1
Energy resolution and FWHM m the location of the event
0
0
Radiation Energy Energy res. FWHM
source [keV] [%] [mm]
Mo K 17.4 75 8.4
w 24 'Am
0
59 .5 31 4.0
S7Co 122 22 2.6
0
22 Na
o `O 511 13 1.4
0

0 5. Energy resolution and point spread function (PSF)

Energy (keV)
Fig. 4. GSO veto efficiency for normally incident photons
from below the detector .
as that of the real detector, but is simpler to use with
the GEANT3 software . It can be seen from fig. 3 that
the single-bar full energy detection efficiency is almost
100% below 150 keV, about 30% at 511 keV, and then
drops to 10% at 1 MeV. The efficiency of multi-bar
events approaches that of single-bar events at about
700 keV and is slightly higher above this energy .
The shielding efficiency of the GSO veto crystal for
gamma-rays incident normally on the bottom of the
detector has also been studied and the results are
shown in fig. 4. It was assumed that those events which
deposit more than 50 keV in GSO can be vetoed . It
should be noted that, in fact, most background photons
do not enter the veto shield at normal incidence and
these results provide us with a worst-case estimate of
its efficiency . The veto efficiency for isotopic gamma-
rays is much higher than that showed in fig. 4.
Experimental tests have been carried out using a
1 X 1X 3 cm CsI(Na) element coupled to a 1 X 1 X 2
cm GSO veto crystal. A schematic diagram of the data
acquisition system is shown in fig. 5 . This was based on
the use of a commercially avaliable vector processor
[14] . The four outputs from the multi-wire anode of the
position-sensitive photomultiplier tube, labeled as XA,
XB , YC and YD, provide position and energy informa-
tion as shown in eqs. (3)-(5). The signal from the last
dynode is used to trigger the data acquisition system
and is processed by the pulse-shape discriminator in
order to distinguish between the signals from the main
detector and the veto crystal.
Ey =XA +X B +YC +Y D , (3)
X - (XA-XB)/(XA+XB), (4)
Y= (YC-YD)l(YC+YD) .
(5)
The results of experimental tests made using several
mono-energetic radiation sources have been summa-
rized in table 1. Moderate energy resolutions have
been obtained which vary between 31% at 60 keV to
13% at 511 keV. It can be seen that the FWHM of the
Doint-spread function near the low energy threshold is

Fig. 5. Schematic diagram of the electronic system .

334 Z. He, D Ramsden / Broad-band position -sensuu e phoswich detector
about 8 .5 mm which is still smaller than the cross
section of the detector element.
6. A pulse-shape discriminator for CsI(Na) + GSO
The decay time of CsI(Na) and GSO are 630 and 60
ns respectively . By using a pulse-shape discriminator,
the signals from different crystals can be separated in
order to reduce the background . Pulse-shape discrimi-
nation techniques have been developed over decades
and several methods are available. We have designed a
simple PSD circuit which can resolve the ratio of the
CsI energy to the total energy deposited in the phoswich
counter. This enables us to apply a software veto at the
data analysis stage.
The performance of the PSD circuit has been tested
using a conventional Hamamastu R878 photomultiplier
tube . The 1 X 1 X 3 cm CsI(Na) was coupled on the top
of 1 X 1 X 2 cm GSO crystal. The radioactive source
was located about 30 cm to the side . Signals from the
CsI(Na) and GSO crystals can be separated even when
using 17 .4 keV Mo X-rays . The full details of this
pulse-shape discrimination circuit will be discussed in a
later paper [15] .
7. Identification of multi-bar events
The ability to distinguish between multi-bar and
single-bar events which deposit energy only within the
CsI(Na) crystals, is very important in order to reduce
the background especially at energies above 250 keV .
The PSPMT tube which uses a multi-wire anode con-
Fig. 6. Experimental results for four adjacent CsI(Tl) bars . (a) All the data . (b) After removing single-bar events .
nected to two resistor chains can only provide the
centroid position of the electron cloud [14] . When an
event deposits energy in more than one bar, the read-
out system can only provide the centroid of the com-
bined light pool and cannot identify simultaneously the
bars in which the interactions occurred . For gamma-
rays with energy less than about 250 keV, Monte Carlo
simulations have shown that most of the events are
single-bar events, so that the centroid readout method
works well . At higher energies, a method for identify-
ing multi-bar event has been investigated .
This method may be explained as follows. A multi-
bar detector may be calibrated by illuminating it with a
radiation source . For single-bar events, the optical
photons produced by gamma-ray interactions exit from
the end symmetrically as a consequence of multiple
reflections within the bar and the centroid of this
light-pool is therefore at the centre of the bar. The
FWHM of the distribution in the position of this cen-
troid gets smaller as the photon energy increases and is
much smaller than the dimension of the bar when
energy deposit is more than 250 keV. When a multi-bar
event occurs, light emerges from more than one bar
simultaneously and the centroid of these outputs will
lie in the space between the centres of the bars .
In order to know how well the multi-bar events
could be recognised using this method, Monte Carlo
simulations and experimental tests were carried out on
four 1 X 1 X 2.5 cm CsI(Tl) bars . A four bar module
was chosen because each bar would then be equally
shielded by the neighbouring bars and the solid angle
subtended by the surrounding bars would then be
approximately half of that in a fully assembled detec-
tor. The four bars were located at the centre of the
 Z. He, D. Rarnsden / Broad-band position-sensitive phoswich detector
Fig. 7. Distribution of simulated multi-bar events .
PSPMT tube . A 22 Na source was placed about 25 cm
above the crystals and fig. 6 shows the results of
experimental measurements before and after removing
the single-bar events from the data . Fig . 7 shows the
predicted distribution of the centroids for multi-bar
events by using Monte Carlo simulation (GEANT3) .
Multi-bar events were selected from the data if the
reconstructed centroid positions lay more than 3.5o,
from the center of any bar. The percentages of such
multi-bar events are 16 .6% and 17 .2% for the simula-
tions and experimental test . Furthermore, one can see
that the structure of the predicted distribution of
multi-bar events is almost the same as that obtained
from the experiment . The experimental results are
consistent with the simulations, and have confirmed
that the vast majority of the multi-bar events can be
recognised using this method .
8. Discussions
Since the position-sensitive area of the 5 in . PSPMT
is 10 cm diameter, there will inevitably be gaps be-
tween each of the detector modules in an array. When
a coded mask collimator is used with such a system to
image the radiation from celestial objects, some arti-
facts will appear in the reconstructed image. Byard and
Ramsden [9] have shown that such artifacts can be
removed very effectively by using the CLEAN algo-
rithm and the signal to noise ratio of the image ob-
tained using this telescope will be almost as good as
that of a continuous detector which has the same
effective area and in which the shadowgram is com-
pletely sampled.
335
9. Conclusions
The design of a broad-band gamma-ray telescope
which covers the energy range from 15 keV to 1 MeV
has been discussed. The experimental measurements
and Monte Carlo simulations have demonstrated the
good performance of this telescope over the entire
energy band . A simple pulse-shape discriminator de-
signed for this system can provide a software veto flag
to determine whether the event should be accepted . A
method for distinguishing between single and multi-bar
events which deposit their energy only within the pri-
mary CsI(Na) detector array has also been investigated .
The results show that this telescope could be a compet-
itive instrument for future gamma-ray astronomical
observations . The main advantages of this system can
be summarised as wide energy band, low energy
threshold, low background and requires a simple elec-
tronic system .
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Dr . F. Lei and Dr. K. Byard
for their valuable and constructive discussions . We are
also very grateful for Tony Gomm's support on pre-
senting excellent diagrams . This work is a result of the
continuing cooperation between Southampton Group
and the Astrophysics Group of High Energy Physics
Institute of the Academia Sinica .
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