Timing Properties of Blue-emitting Scintillating Fibers

Abstract

Scintillating fibers are widely used in particle detectors, mainly for tracking. We have studied the properties and have compared the performance of different blue-emitting 250~$\mu$m diameter round double-clad scintillating fibers from Kuraray and Saint-Gobain. Here we focus on the properties of the fibers over short lengths ($< 50~{\rm cm}$), in particular on their timing performances. We report on the light yield and attenuation, scintillation light decay time and the achievable time resolution.