The determination of the efficiency of a Compton suppressed high purity germanium detector using Monte Carlo simulations

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorMcNamara, ALen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHeijnis, Hen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFierro, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorReinhard, MIen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-13T23:30:45Zen_AU
dc.date.available2022-11-13T23:30:45Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2010-09-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2022-01-31en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe low level radiochemistry laboratory at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) performs radioactivity measurements of various environmental samples for a broad range of low level radionuclides. The laboratory's low-level gamma-spectrometry facility contains two Compton suppressed high purity Germanium (HPGe) detector systems. A Compton suppressed HPGe detector is well suited to the analysis of small environmental samples, however the nature of these samples (range of different geometries, densities and compositions) can make it difficult to construct an efficiency curve for the instrument. Currently, efficiency calibrations are f, carried out using reference materials packed into a particular geometry, e.g. a petri-dish. This makes the analysis of samples with different geometries difficult and time-consuming. Monte Carlo simulations can be a powerful tool in estimating the efficiency of the detector, especially for complicated detector systems and unusual sample compositions and geometries, provided enough geometric information on the system is available. Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations can also be used to determine self absorption, random and coincidence summing corrections, cascade and background effects. We model the gamma-Compton suppressed system using the simulation toolkit Geant4 for the efficiency calibration and compare the calculated efficiencies with the measurement of standard radionuclides in the low energy region of ~ 40 to 1500 keV. The calculated I7 efficiencies have the same dependence on energy as the measured values and the discrepancies between the two values can be attributed to incomplete knowledge of the detector geometry.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationMcNamara, A. L., Heijnis. H., Fierro, D., & Reinhard, M. I. (2010). The determination of the efficiency of a Compton suppressed high purity germanium detector using Monte Carlo simulation. Paper presented to the 11th South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association Conference "SPERA 2010", Crowne Plaza, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia, 31 August - 3 September 2010.en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate3 September 2010en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencename11th South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association Conference "SPERA 2010"en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceGold Coast, Australiaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate31 August 2010en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/14035en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherSouth Pacific Radioactivity Associationen_AU
dc.subjectGE semiconductor detectorsen_AU
dc.subjectMonte Carlo Methoden_AU
dc.subjectSimulationen_AU
dc.subjectSamplingen_AU
dc.subjectRadiation transporten_AU
dc.subjectEnergyen_AU
dc.subjectEnvironmenten_AU
dc.subjectANSTOen_AU
dc.titleThe determination of the efficiency of a Compton suppressed high purity germanium detector using Monte Carlo simulationsen_AU
dc.typeConference Abstracten_AU
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Mcnamara.pdf
Size:
143.03 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.63 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Conference Publications