Characterizing Boron-10 Doped Polysiloxane-based Scintillators Using GEANT4

Detectors with simultaneous sensitivity to gamma rays, fast neutrons, and thermal neutrons offer significant advantages for nuclear physics applications like neutrino detection, nuclear nonproliferation, and medical physics where mixed fields exist. Organic scintillators based on plastics are often employed in this space, but alternative organic scintillator materials are needed for applications of varying environmental conditions, mixed radiation fields, and high fluxes. Organic scintillators based on a silicone matrix have recently demonstrated radiation detection properties on-par with commercial options for the detection of gamma rays, fast neutrons, and thermal neutrons while benefiting from the thermal stability and radiation hardness of the matrix. For the first time, this optimized scintillator was simulated using GEANT4, a Monte Carlo C++ toolkit, to model key detector properties. Simulations of the Compton edge and triple-species pulse shape discrimination were successfully validated through experimental measurements.