The Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) applies a Detector Response Function (DRF) to compute the output of gamma-ray and neutron detectors when they are exposed to radiation sources. The DRF is fundamental to the ability to perform forward calculations (i.e., computation of the response of a detector to a known source), as well as the ability to analyze spectra to deduce the types and quantities of radioactive material to which the detectors are exposed. This document describes how gamma-ray spectra are computed and the significance of response function parameters that define characteristics of particular detectors.
Radiation transport calculations were performed to compute the angular tallies for scattered gamma-rays as a function of distance, height, and environment. Green's Functions were then used to encapsulate the results a reusable transformation function. The calculations represent the transport of photons throughout scattering surfaces that surround sources and detectors, such as the ground and walls. Utilization of these calculations in GADRAS (Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software) enables accurate computation of environmental scattering for a variety of environments and source configurations. This capability, which agrees well with numerous experimental benchmark measurements, is now deployed with GADRAS Version 18.2 as the basis for the computation of scattered radiation.
The primary function of the Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) is the solution of inverse radiation transport problems, by which the configuration of an unknown radiation source is inferred from one or more measured radiation signatures. GADRAS was originally developed for the analysis of gamma spectrometry measurements. During fiscal years 2007 and 2008, GADRAS was augmented to implement the simultaneous analysis of neutron multiplicity measurements. This report describes the radiation transport methods developed to implement this new capability.
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