Scintillation detector without optical window

摘要

A scintillation detector includes a scintillation crystal directly coupled to a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The crystal/PMT subassembly is attached to a voltage divider and the entire device is hermetically sealed in a stainless steel outer case. Conductors are passed through the hermetic package from the voltage divider via a high temperature metal to ceramic pass-through. The crystal and PMT are longitudinally loaded within the outer case by springs in order to minimize vibrations in the crystal and PMT. A thermoplastic support sleeve circumscribes the crystal and the PMT to protect the crystal and PMT from excessive longitudinal loading. Preferably, the support sleeve and the crystal have similar coefficients of thermal expansion so that the crystal and the support sleeve experience similar dimensional changes due to temperature fluctuations, allowing the support sleeve to best maintain its stress-limiting function as temperature within the detector changes. The support sleeve also protects the crystal/PMT subassembly from bending loads.