Tunable Light Scattering in Cast Organic Scintillators via BaSO$_4$ Nanoparticle Doping: A Short Summary
We summarize the fabrication and optical characterization of small-format (2 x 2 x 2 cm$^3$) cast organic scintillators based on Eljen EJ-290 resin, doped with barium sulfate (BaSO$_4$) powder at mass fractions from 0 % to 5 %. The goal is to tune the scattering length of the scintillator largely independently of its absorption and light output, so that scintillation light is localized on a controllable spatial scale matched to the fiber pitch of wavelength-shifting (WLS) fiber read-out. The scattering length is found to decrease from 6.05(8) cm at 1 % to 0.83(1) cm at 5 %, while the absolute light yield falls by only about 15 %. These results are a first proof of concept that the photon-transport scale in cast scintillators can be engineered on purpose, enabling position-sensitive scintillator tiles for fiber-readout sampling calorimeters and large-area muon trackers. Full details are given in the accompanying paper.