Optics: general-purpose scintillator light response simulation code

TL;DR

The paper introduces 'optics', a versatile simulation code for modeling light responses in various scintillator detectors, validated against experimental data, aiding in detector design and particle tracking.

Contribution

The paper presents a new general-purpose simulation program for scintillator light response, capable of modeling complex geometries and optical properties, with calibration against experimental measurements.

Findings

Accurately simulates light responses for diverse scintillator geometries.

Demonstrates calibration of simulations with cosmic muon data.

Shows potential for particle tracking in complex geometries.

Abstract

We present the program optics that simulates the light response of an arbitrarily shaped scintillation particle detector. Predicted light responses of pure CsI polygonal detectors, plastic scintillator staves, cylindrical plastic target scintillators and a Plexiglas light-distribution plate are illustrated. We demonstrate how different bulk and surface optical properties of a scintillator lead to specific volume and temporal light collection probability distributions. High-statistics optics simulations are calibrated against the detector responses measured in a custom-made cosmic muon tomography apparatus. The presented code can also be used to track particles intersecting complex geometrical objects.