Determination of the map of efficiency of the J-PET detector with the GATE package

A novel PET detector consisting of strips of polymer scintillators is being developed by the J-PET Collaboration. The map of efficiency and the map of geometrical acceptance of the 2-strip J-PET scanner are presented. Map of efficiency was determined using the Monte Carlo simulation software GATE based on GEANT4. Both maps were compared using method based on the chi2 test.

Calibration of photomultipliers gain used in the J-PET detector

Photomultipliers are commonly used in commercial PET scanner as devices which convert light produced in scintillator by gamma quanta from positron-electron annihilation into electrical signal. For proper analysis of obtained electrical signal, a photomultiplier gain curve must be known, since gain can be significantly different even between photomultipliers of the same model. In this article we describe single photoelectron method used for photomultipliers calibration applied for J-PET scanner, a novel PET detector being developed at the Jagiellonian University. Description of calibration method, an example of calibration curve and gain of few R4998 Hamamatsu photomultipliers are presented.

Simulations of gamma quanta scattering in a single module of the J-PET detector

This article describes simulations of scattering of annihilation gamma quanta in a strip of plastic scintillator. Such strips constitute basic detection modules in a newly proposed Positron Emission Tomography which utilizes plastic scintillators instead of inorganic crystals. An algorithm simulating chain of Compton scatterings was elaborated and series of simulations have been conducted for the scintillator strip with the cross section of 5 mm x 19 mm. Obtained results indicate that secondary interactions occur only in the case of about 8% of events and out of them only 25$%$ take place in the distance larger than 0.5 cm from the primary interaction. It was also established that light signals produced at primary and secondary interactions overlap with the delay which distribution is characterized by FWHM of about 40 ps.

TOF-PET detector concept based on organic scintillators

In this contribution we present a new concept of the large acceptance detector systems based on organic scintillators which may allow for simultaneous diagnostic of large fraction of the human body. Novelty of the concept lies in employing large blocks of polymer scintillators instead of crystals as detectors of annihilation quanta, and in using predominantly the timing of signals instead of their amplitudes.