<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A methodology to determine the full energy peak efficiency (FEPE) for precise gamma spectrometry measurements of environmental samples with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector, valid when this efficiency depends on the energy of the radiation <italic>E</italic>, the height of the cylindrical sample <italic>H</italic>, and its density ρ, is introduced. The methodology consists of an initial calibration as a function of <italic>E</italic> and <italic>H</italic> and the application of a self-attenuation factor, depending on the density of the sample ρ, in order to correct for the different attenuation of the generic sample in relation to the measured standard. The obtained efficiency can be used in the whole range of interest studied, <italic>E</italic> = 120–2000 keV, <italic>H</italic> = 1–5 cm, and ρ = 0.8–1.7 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, being its uncertainty below 5%. The efficiency has been checked by the measurement of standards, resulting in a good agreement between experimental and expected activities. The described methodology can be extended to similar situations when samples show geometric and compaction differences.</p></abstract>

A methodology to determine the full energy peak efficiency (FEPE) for precise gamma spectrometry measurements of environmental samples with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector, valid when this efficiency depends on the energy of the radiation E, the height of the cylindrical sample H, and its density ρ, is introduced. The methodology consists of an initial calibration as a function of E and H and the application of a self-attenuation factor, depending on the density of the sample ρ, in order to correct for the different attenuation of the generic sample in relation to the measured standard. The obtained efficiency can be used in the whole range of interest studied, E = 120–2000 keV, H = 1–5 cm, and ρ = 0.8–1.7 g/cm3, being its uncertainty below 5%. The efficiency has been checked by the measurement of standards, resulting in a good agreement between experimental and expected activities. The described methodology can be extended to similar situations when samples show geometric and compaction differences.

Precise determination of HPGe detector efficiency for gamma spectrometry measurements of environmental samples with variable geometry and density

Nukleonika

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A methodology to determine the full energy peak efficiency (FEPE) for precise gamma spectrometry measurements of environmental samples with high-purity...

Precise determination of HPGe detector efficiency for gamma spectrometry measurements of environmental samples with variable geometry and density

Published Online: Mar 04, 2017

Page range: 47 - 59

Received: May 31, 2016

Accepted: Nov 07, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nuka-2017-0007

Keywords
efficiency calibration, environmental radioactivity, gamma spectrometry, geometric dependence of the efficiency, self-attenuation corrections

© 2017 Manuel Barrera et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Precise determination of HPGe detector efficiency for gamma spectrometry measurements of environmental samples with variable geometry and density

Published Online: Mar 04, 2017

Page range: 47 - 59

Received: May 31, 2016

Accepted: Nov 07, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nuka-2017-0007

Keywordsefficiency calibration, environmental radioactivity, gamma spectrometry, geometric dependence of the efficiency, self-attenuation corrections

© 2017 Manuel Barrera et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
efficiency calibration, environmental radioactivity, gamma spectrometry, geometric dependence of the efficiency, self-attenuation corrections