Scintillating properties of frozen new liquid scintillators

The light emission from scintillators which are liquid at room temperature was studied in the interval between $+20$~$^{\circ}$C and $-120$~$^{\circ}$C, where the phase transition from liquid to solid takes place. The light yield measured at $-120$~$^{\circ}$C is about twice as much as that observed at $+20$~$^{\circ}$C. By cooling the scintillator from $+20$~$^{\circ}$C to $-120$~$^{\circ}$C and then heating it from $-120$~$^{\circ}$C to $+20$~$^{\circ}$C, the light yield varies in steps at well defined temperatures, which are different for the cooling and heating processes. These hysteresis phenomena appear to be related to the solvent rather than to the dopant. The decay time of scintillation light was measured at $+20$~$^{\circ}$C and $-120$~$^{\circ}$C. Whilst at room temperature most of the light is emitted with a decay time of 6--8 ns, at $-120$~$^{\circ}$C a slower component, with a decay time of 25--35 ns, becomes important.