Non-linearity effects on the light-output calibration of light charged particles in CsI(Tl) scintillator crystals

The light output produced by light ions (Z <= 4) in CsI(Tl) crystals is studied over a wide range of detected energies (E <= 300 MeV). Energy-light calibration data sets are obtained with the 10 cm crystals in the recently upgraded High-Resolution Array (HiRA10). We use proton recoil data from Ca-40,Ca-48 + CH2 at 28 MeV/u, 56.6 MeV/u, 39 MeV/u and 139.8 MeV/u and data from a dedicated experiment with direct low-energy beams. We also use the punch through points of p, d, and t particles from Ca-40,Ca-48 + Ni-58,Ni-64, Sn-112,Sn-124 collisions reactions at 139.8 MeV/u. Non-linearities, arising in particular from Tl doping and light collection effects in the CsI crystals, are found to significantly affect the light output and therefore the calibration of the detector response for light charged particles, especially the hydrogen isotopes. A new empirical parametrization of the hydrogen light output, L(E, Z = 1, A), is proposed to account for the observed effects. Results are found to be consistent for all 48 CsI(Tl) crystals in a cluster of 12 HiRA10 telescopes.