Self detection of thorium fission induced in radioluminescent ThBr4 single crystal by fast neutrons

The radioluminescence properties of ThBr4 single crystals have been reported previously. It can work as an ionic scintillator for charged particles and heavy ions by emitting light over a broad band peaked at 405 nm. The property added to high radioresistance suggests that ThBr4 can be used in the nuclear reactions field, playing simultaneously the role of a heavy target (thorium) and of a detector. In this work proof of this possibility was given by measuring the fission of 232Th induced in situ by fast neutrons. (author)