Pulse shape analysis using CsI(Tl) crystals

The decay time of CsI(Tl) scintillating material consists of more than a single exponential component. The ratio between the intensity of these components varies as a function of the ionizing power of the absorbed particles, such as gamma-rays or protons, and the temperature. This property can therefore be used for particle discrimination and for temperature monitoring, using pulse shape analysis. An unsupervised method that uses fuzzy clustering algorithms for particle identification based on pulse shape analysis is presented. The method is applied to discriminate between photon- and proton-induced signals in CsI(Tl) scintillator detectors. The first results of a method that uses pulse shape analysis for correcting the temperature-dependent gain effect of the detector are also presented. The method aims at conserving a good energy resolution in a temperature varying environment without the need to measure the temperature of the detector externally.