Abstract: A scintillator pack including an x-ray damage shield. The scintillator pack has an array of scintillator pixels. A scintillation light reflecting layer that reflects scintillation light from the pixels is included at least between the scintillator pixels in inter-scintillator regions. An x-ray absorbing layer acts as the x-ray damage shield to protect the portions of the scintillation light reflecting layer from x-rays. The x-ray absorbing layer is formed selectively and in a self aligned manner in regions over the inter-scintillator regions.

Abstract: A transparent scintillator material for rapid conversion of exciting radiation, such as x-rays, to scintillating radiation. The scintillator material has a cubic garnet host, and has praseodymium as an activator. The scintillator material may be a polycrystalline ceramic material. The polycrystalline ceramic is formed by sintering a powder formed by precipitation. The scintillator material may be integrated into computed tomography (CT) equipment or other x-ray imaging equipment. The scintillator material may also be integrated into a fast response x-ray detector system.

Abstract: Decay time in scintillator compositions comprising yttrium or lutetium and gadolinium oxides and europium oxide is decreased by incorporating therein at least one of the oxides of ytterbium, samarium, praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, thulium, cerium and erbium as an acceptor. Other properties including afterglow and radiation damage are maintained at acceptable levels.

Abstract: Decay time in scintillator compositions comprising yttrium or lutetium and gadolinium oxides and europium oxide is decreased by incorporating therein at least one of the oxides of ytterbium, samarium, praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, thulium, cerium and erbium as an acceptor. Other properties including afterglow and radiation damage are maintained at acceptable levels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting impurities in quartz sand. The apparatus comprises at least one light source; at least one light detector assembly; a transport device; and a signal processor that receives the at least one signal from the at least one light detector assembly. The method comprises moving the quartz sand; illuminating the quartz sand to excite luminescence emission from impurities; receiving luminescence emission from the impurity; generating at least one signal indicative of the excited luminescence emission from the impurity; and determining if the signal represents an impurity in quartz sand.