Evaluation the nonlinear response function of a HPGe detector for 59 keV to 10.7 MeV gamma-rays using a Monte Carlo simulation and comparison with experimental data

Abstract

A: Modeling of High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector on a wide energy range is important in gamma-ray spectroscopy. The precisely modeled detector can be used for protoninduced prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy. In this work, we used both the gamma-rays of calibration sources and prompt gamma-rays emitted in proton capture reactions to model a coaxial p-type HPGe detector using Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation for the gamma-ray energy range of 59-10764 keV. The calibration sources were 137 Cs, 241 Am, 60 Co, 152 Eu, and 133 Ba, while the prompt gamma-rays were due to the gamma-ray cascades following the 27 Al(p,𝛾) 28 Si reaction capture at the resonant energies of 992, 1317 and 2483 keV, as well as the 23 Na(p,𝛾) 24 Mg reaction capture at the resonant energies of 1417 and 1395 keV. According to the results obtained, the presented simulated and experimental spectra show a good agreement. In addition, the mean and maximum relative deviations between experimental and simulated efficiencies corresponding to 27 major peaks are smaller than 5% and 15%, respectively. K: Gamma detectors (scintillators, CZT, HPGe, HgI etc); Simulation methods and programs; Detector modelling and simulations I (interaction of radiation with matter, interaction of photons with matter, interaction of hadrons with matter, etc); Accelerator Applications

Call of duty: recommissioning an old HPGe detector

“…It is very common to examine the functional characteristics of an HPGe detector before or during its operation as a means of quality assurance, but also for quantification of observations. There is extensive bibliography on the characterization of various types of spectrometers built around HPGe detectors in terms of the absolute efficiency, linear response and energy resolution (see e.g., [4][5][6][7][8]). Complementing experimental studies, the fast increase of high-computing power has facilitated detailed simulations of detector crystals and complex experimental setups, providing important knowledge on features which traditional experimental approaches can not access in a straightforward manner [9][10][11][12][13].…”