Unrecognized Backscattering in Low Energy Beta Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study investigates unrecognized electron backscattering in plastic scintillator beta detectors using a dual-detector setup with magnetic field, revealing its impact on low energy particle physics measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental method to quantify unrecognized backscattering in beta detectors under magnetic fields.

Findings

Quantified the amount of unrecognized backscattering events.

Analyzed the energy spectrum of backscattered electrons.

Assessed implications for low energy particle physics experiments.

Abstract

We present studies on electron backscattering from the surface of plastic scintillator beta detectors. By using a setup of two detectors coaxial with a strong external magnetic field - one detector serving as primary detector, the other as veto-detector to detect backscattering - we investigate amount and spectrum of unrecognized backscattering, i.e. events where only one detector recorded a trigger signal. The implications are important for low energy particle physics experiments.