Radiation-hardness Studies with Cerium-doped Fused-silica Fibers

We continue our R&D effort in developing scintillating and wavelength shifting fibers by doping fused-silica fibers with cerium.  In this report, we summarize fibers’ radiation-hardness by providing experimental data and a predictive model based on second-order rate equations. Five different types of cerium-doped and a clear fused-silica fibers were exposed to the gamma radiation (⁶⁰Co) at different dose rates up to 100 kGy. We evaluated radiation-induced transmission losses as well as photoluminescence efficiency in a wide wavelength range (400-1000 nm). We also present measurements of the effective numerical aperture upon exposure to radiation and offer some thoughts on the use of these fibers in particle physics as well as in other wide-ranging applications.