Abstract
The authors have previously shown how to achieve a 40-fold reduction in system background for above-ground germanium detectors. Such systems are generally sufficient for examining small hydrogenous samples or samples of non-hydrogenous materials such as soil, glass, metals, etc. However, samples with a large hydrogen content yield a seriously degraded background due to a number of neutron-induced interactions, such as Compton scatter following hydrogen capture of thermalized neutrons. A study was performed to better understand the sources of thermal neutron flux in above-ground detector systems. The effects of different quantities of hydrogen in the sample were also examined. Methods are presented for additional lowering of system background for both hydrogenous and non-hydrogenous samples.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J. H. REEVES, W. K. HENSLEY, R. L. BRODZINSKI, P. RYGE, IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., NS-31, (1984) 697.
R. M. LINDSTROM, D. J. LINDSTROM, L. A. SLABACK, J. K. LANGLAND, Nucl. Instrum. Methods, Phys. Res., A299 (1990) 425.
G. HEUSER, Nucl. Instrum. Methods, Phys. Res., B17 (1986) 418.
J.-C. ROY, J.-E. COTE, R. W. DURHAM, S. R. JOSHI, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 130 (1989) 221.
G. MULLER, F. WISSMANN, F. SCHRODER, G. MONDRY, H. J. BRINKMAN, F. SMEND, M. SCHUMACHER, P. FETTWEIS, R. CARCHON, Nucl. Instrum. Methods, Phys. Res., A295 (1990) 133.
J. H. REEVES, W. K. HENSLEY, R. L. BRODZINSKI, IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., NS-32, (1985) 29.
J. H. REEVES, R. J. ARTHUR, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 124 (1988) 435.
F. T. AVIGNONE III, R. L. BRODZINSKI, Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, 21 (1991) 99.
R. J. ARTHUR, J. H. REEVES, H. S. MILEY, IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., 35 (1988) 582.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Arthur, R.J., Reeves, J.H. Methods for achieving ultra-low backgrounds in above-ground germanium detector systems. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 160, 297–304 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02037105
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02037105