Verification of gamma-spectroscopy programs: Accuracy and detectability

Abstract

The newly revised ANSI N42.14^1.2 has provided analysis software developers with a set of well defined, consistent and unbiased procedures designed to evaluate the accuracy and limitations of peak search and peak area analysis programs. This work uses two of the procedures outlined in this standard to evaluate five peak analysis algorithms currently in use in Canberra and Nuclear Data software packages. The first procedure examines a program's behavior as the centroid separation and peak height ratio of a doublet are varied. A previous review of these data³ demonstrated significant peak area inaccuracies at peak separations at or below 1.5 FWHM. We will discuss improvements made to some of these programs and the impact on the doublet results. The second procedure examines a program's behavior as the Compton continuum beneath a fixed peak area is increased. For the same five algorithms we will discuss the dependence of peak area on Compton continuum and also explore the limits of peak detectability.