The Feasibility of Event Sequence Discrimination for the Improvement of Gamma-Ray Spectrometer Sensitivity
Abstract
Nuclear measurement applications for military surveillance, environmental monitoring, and physics research are bounded by detection sensitivity and counting time limitations. To date, improvements in detection sensitivity for semiconductor detectors have been limited to small incremental gains made primarily through increased crystal size and purity. The results of this study indicate that a step improvement in the gamma ray detection sensitivity of semiconductor detectors is achievable if information on each scattering sequence can be processed and used on a livetime basis to accept preferentially the full energy event sequences, and to reject 'false' partial energy event sequences. In this study, a Monte Carlo model for gamma ray interactions in germanium was developed and used to select criteria on interaction location and number of events which are predicted to improve detector performance. The sensitivity of a detector system was determined from the Monte Carlo model results for five gamma ray energies in the range 88 keV to 1836 keV, under several event discrimination criteria. Keywords: Semiconductor radiation detectors; Gamma-ray spectrometer; Radiation monitoring.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 29, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA217596
Entities
People
- Barry G. Wahlig
- David M. Walker
- Jim G. Gillespie