Monte Carlo calculation of the efficiency calibration curve and coincidence-summing corrections in low-level gamma-ray spectrometry using well-type HPGe detectors

摘要

Well-type high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors are well suited to the analysis of small amounts of environmental samples, as they can combine both low background and high detection efficiency. A low-background well-type detector is installed in the Modane underground Laboratory. In the well geometry, coincidence-summing effects are high and make the construction of the full energy peak efficiency curve a difficult task with an usual calibration standard, especially in the high energy range. Using the GEANT code and taking into account a detailed description of the detector and the source, efficiency curves have been modelled for several filling heights of the vial. With a special routine taking into account the decay schemes of the radionuclides, corrections for coincidence-summing effects that occur when measuring samples containing ~(238)U, ~(232)Th or ~(134)Cs have been computed. The results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. It is shown that triple coincidences effect on counting losses accounts for 7-15% of pair coincidences effect in the case of 604 and 796 keV lines of ~(134)Cs.