Light response of YAP:Ce and LaBr3:Ce scintillators to 4-30 MeV protons for applications to Telescope Proton Recoil neutron spectrometers

The light response of two thin inorganic scintillators based on YAP:Ce and LaBr3:Ce crystals has been measured with protons in the 4-8 MeV energy range at the Uppsala tandem accelerator and in the 8-26 MeV energy range at the Legnaro tandem accelerator. The crystals have been calibrated in situ with 137Cs and 60Co γ-ray sources. The relative light yields of protons with respect to gammas have been measured and are here reported to be (96±2)% and (80±2)% for YAP:Ce and LaBr3:Ce, respectively. The results open up to the development of a Telescope Proton Recoil spectrometer based on either of the two crystals as alternative to a silicon based spectrometer for applications to high neutron fluxes.