Progress in the scintillator luminescence research is summarized in this paper.The summary is concentrated on luminescence mechanism of the scintillators used for high energy physics in near future.New scintillators we have studied include BaF

2

BaF

2

:RE

CeF

3

PbWO

4

crystals.Some new results on their luminescence mechanism were presented as follows: (1)Quantum cutting effect in Gd

3+

and Eu

3+

doped BaF

2

powder has been observed

and its double photon emitting efficiency was about 190%.Based on BaF

2

luminescence from "valence band → core band" transition

possible multi photon emitting from RE

3+

in this kind of fluoride system has also been considered.(2)Temperature dependence of energy transfer from Ce

3+

(emitting 290nm band) to defect luminescence centers (emitting 340nm band) in the CeF

3

crystals was studied at 61nm (VUV) excitation.The energy transfer was confirmed by the excitation spectra of 290nm

240nm emissions and luminescence decay curves for 340nm emission at different temperatures.At 5K

the excitation spectra of 340nm emission were quite different from that of 290nm emission

but they were almost the same shapes at 350K.Under 61nm excitation

the decay time of 340nm luminescence was postponed from about 20ns to 40ns with rising temperature from 5K to 350K.The energy transfer efficiency was rapidly increased with rising temperature from 5K to 350K.(3)The "WO

4

2-

+O

i

" defect as green emission center in PbWO

4

crystals was proposed and instead of "WO

3

+F" center.The evidences of the view point about the "WO

4

2-

+O

i

" green centers were offered by the emission spectra and EXAFS data for O

2

or air annealing PbWO

4

as well as the results of theoretical calculation of electron states for the "WO

3

+F" and "WO

4

2-

+O

i

" centers.