Methods for precise photoelectron counting with photomultipliers

Abstract A series of measurements has been performed on a THORN EMI 9351 phototube in order to investigate its response to a low light intensity. Precise procedures to determine the intensity of the incident photon flux have been developed and compared. The data show that the various approaches give consistent and reliable results, thus allowing the precise calibration of the device for applications of photon counting

An approximation of the ideal scintillation detector line shape with a generalized gamma distribution

An approximation of the real line shape of a scintillation detector with a generalized gamma distribution is proposed. The approximation describes the ideal scintillation line shape better than the conventional normal distribution. Two parameters of the proposed function are uniquely defined by the first two moments of the detector response.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 2 table