Existence, decay time and light yield for a reaction-diffusion-drift equation in the continuum physics of scintillators

TL;DR

This paper models the scintillation process using a reaction-diffusion-drift equation derived from continuum microstructure thermodynamics, establishing solution existence, decay estimates, and defining light yield as a measure of efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a novel reaction-diffusion-drift model for scintillators and proves global existence, decay properties, and a mathematical definition of light yield.

Findings

Proves global existence of solutions

Establishes exponential decay estimates

Defines light yield mathematically

Abstract

A scintillator is a material which converts incoming ionizing energy into visible light. This conversion process, which is a strongly nonlinear one, can be described by a Reaction-Diffusion-Drift equation we obtain from a model of continua with microstructure endowed with a suitable thermodynamics. For such an equation it can be show the global existence of renormalizable and weak solutions, and the solutions exponential decay estimates can be given; moreover we give also a mathematical definition for the light yield which is a measure of scintillation efficiency.