Reduction of reabsorption effects in scintillators by employing solutes with large Stokes shifts

A radiation or high energy particle responsive system is described useful as a scintillator, and comprising, a first component which interacts with the radiation or high energy particle to emit photons in a certain first wavelength range; and at least one additional solute component which absorbs the photons in the first wavelength range and thereupon emits photons in another wavelength range higher than the first range; the improvement wherein at least one of the components absorbs substantially no photons in the wavelength range in which it emits photons, due to large Stokes shift caused by an excited states intramolecular rearrangement, with the proviso that the component having a large Stokes shift is not methyl salicylate or salicyclic acid