Characterization of commercial EJ-212 PVT scintillators as proton beam diagnostics. Luminescent study and Birks coefficients

Plastic scintillators exhibit great versatility in radiation detection, making them essential diagnostic tools in numerous scientific areas. Their application in characterizing charged particle beams – whether from particle accelerators or laser-plasma interactions – is particularly common. However, the detailed processes that govern their luminescence are still being studied, primarily due to the structural complexity of the organic macro-molecules that constitute them. Moreover, precise calibration is crucial for accurately determining incident particle flux – whether from photons or charged particles – which is vital for exact dose calculations. This paper investigates the luminescent properties of the plastic scintillator EJ-212 from Eijen by irradiating it with monoenergetic pulsed proton beams using a spectrometer. The Birks coefficients, which indicate the number of luminescent photons produced per incident particle, were obtained by directly capturing the luminescence images with a CMOS camera coupled to a standard objective. Additionally, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to evaluate the energy deposited by protons as a function of penetration depth for energies ranging from 2 to 8 MeV. • A practical charge characterization method via absolute calibration of EJ-212 with protons. • Proton-induced luminescence spectra correlated with energy, pulse duration, and damage. • Birks coefficients derived from experiment using simulated energy deposition. • Supports high-repetition-rate proton diagnostics and related applications.