How long will it take to grow the material for our job?
At ASI we inventory large quantities of already grown material in the ingot form. The material for your job will be taken from material that is in our inventory. We have many tons of material ready to be machined and packaged for your configuration.
How long does it take to grow the large NaI(Tl) ingots?
Our large 32” ingots take about six weeks to grow. We use our own proprietary process developed at ASI to grow these large ingots. After growth it takes another five weeks in the annealing process to cool the grown ingot to room temperature.
How pure does the starting material have to be?
The specific details of our purification process are proprietary. However, we can tell you that we have techniques that allow us to satisfy the most difficult scintillator applications that have ever been achieved. Refer to our data sheet WIMPScint material for up to date radiopurity information.
Our detector has poor energy resolution, what is wrong?
There are several problems that can explain poor energy resolution: hydrated crystal, loss of interface between the crystal and the photosensitive device, a fractured crystal or a faulty photosensitive device. ASI offers a no charge evaluation service to determine the cause if the problem. If the unit is still covered under the ASI warranty, then the repair will be done at no cost to you. We only require that you pay for shipping expenses. Refer also to our Detector Troubleshooting Guide.
How long will it take to deliver a prototype for our project?
There are several factors that will determine how quickly we can ship a new design. First, how far along are you with your design concept? Will you need much support from our staff to optimize the design? If it is very nearly complete and we can turn a sales drawing back to you for review, it is possible that a prototype could be delivered in about eight weeks. We have our own metalworking machine shop with lots of capability. One caveat: if a special PMT is required, it is likely that the delivery time will be extended significantly.
What is the expected lifetime for an ASI detector?
The usable lifespan of an ASI detector can be many years. Our warranty is for two years. Oftentimes our detectors have been in use for well over 10 years. The Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) is influenced by two main factors: detector design and the environment that it is used.
Do you offer detectors with the new silicone photomultiplier (SiPM) technology?
Yes, we have already manufactured many different designs with SiPM technology. We have learned how to optimize the performance of the scintillator with SiPMs. SiPMs have a clear niche for our technology. Bring your idea to us and we will work together synergistically to optimize the solution for your application.
Why is your NaI(Tl) scintillator material the best available?
In 2011 we were approached by astroparticle physicists to provide a high radiopurity material that could be used to detect the theoretical WIMP particle. Our task was to achieve extremely low concentrations of Potassium, Uranium, Thorium and Radon decay products. Radon daughters lead to alpha emitter contamination in the scintillator. In the process of meeting this difficult challenge we had a very nice side benefit – we simultaneously removed other contaminants that caused self absorption of the light in the scintillator. The scientists that are now using or material in the search for DM (dark matter) were amazed (and pleased) by the incredible increase in light output of our material. It will make it easier for them to see the illusive WIMP-WIMP interaction signal if it is there!
What types of radiation do your detectors measure?
Our detectors primarily measure gamma radiation. We have recently started to grow a special configuration of enriched 6LiI(Eu) that detects both neutrons and gammas. We do offer very limited designs that can detect beta particles. We do not offer alpha detectors.