Abstract
Monte Carlo model has been developed using the GEANT code for calculation of the full energy peak efficiency of a HPGe detector operating in the Slovak Institute of Metrology. The model has been used for calculation of the HPGe detector efficiency for gamma-spectrometry measurements associated with the development of a national radon standard. The detector model was validated by comparison of simulated efficiencies with measured experimental values for point sources and for 450 mL Marinelli beaker. A reasonable, up to 5% agreement between the simulated and experimental results was achieved in the energy range from 100 to 1800 keV.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Waibel E, Grosswendt B (1975) Determination of detector efficiencies for gamma ray energies up to 12 MeV. I. Experimental methods. Nucl Instrum Methods 131:133–141
Jovanovic S, Dlabac A, Mihaljevic N (2010) ANGLE v2.1–new version of the computer code for semiconductor detector gamma-efficiency calculations. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 622:385–391
Venkataraman R, Bronson F, Atrashkevich V et al (2005) Improved detector response characterization method in ISOCS and LabSOCS. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 264:213–219
Zhang J, Chen X, Zhang C et al (2014) Development of a software package for solid-angle calculations using the Monte Carlo method. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 736:40–45
Yücel H, Zümrüt S, Narttürk RB, Gedik G (2019) Efficiency calibration of a coaxial HPGe detector-Marinelli beaker geometry using an 152Eu source prepared in epoxy matrix and its validation by efficiency transfer method. Nucl Eng Technol 51:526–532
Briesmeister JF (2000) MCNP—a general Monte carlo N-particle transport code. Los Alamos Natl Lab 790
Allison J, Amako K, Apostolakis J et al (2004) GEANT4–a simulation toolkit. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 506:250–303
Khan W, Zhang Q, He C, Saleh M (2018) Monte Carlo simulation of the full energy peak efficiency of an HPGe detector. Appl Radiat Isot 131:67–70
Dokania N, Singh V, Mathimalar S et al (2014) Characterization and modeling of a low background HPGe detector. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 745:119–127
Haj-Heidari MT, Safari MJ, Afarideh H, Rouhi H (2016) Method for developing HPGe detector model in Monte Carlo simulation codes. Radiat Meas 88:1–6
Montalván Olivares DM, Guevara MVM, Velasco FG (2017) Determination of the HPGe detector efficiency in measurements of radioactivity in extended environmental samples. Appl Radiat Isot 130:34–42
Schläger M (2007) Precise modelling of coaxial germanium detectors in preparation for a mathematical calibration. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 580:137–140
Conti CC, Salinas ICP, Zylberberg H (2013) A detailed procedure to simulate an HPGe detector with MCNP5. Prog Nucl Energy 66:35–40
Garcı́a-Talavera M, Neder H, Daza MJ, Quintana B (2000) Towards a proper modeling of detector and source characteristics in Monte Carlo simulations. Appl Radiat Isot 52:777–783
Gasparro J, Hult M, Johnston PN, Tagziria H (2008) Monte Carlo modelling of germanium crystals that are tilted and have rounded front edges. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 594:196–201
Maidana NL, Vanin VR, Jahnke V et al (2013) Efficiency calibration of x-ray HPGe detectors for photons with energies above the Ge K binding energy. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 729:371–380
Elanique A, Marzocchi O, Leone D et al (2012) Dead layer thickness characterization of an HPGe detector by measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. Appl Radiat Isot 70:538–542
Ródenas J, Pascual A, Zarza I et al (2003) Analysis of the influence of germanium dead layer on detector calibration simulation for environmental radioactive samples using the Monte Carlo method. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 496:390–399
Budjáš D, Heisel M, Maneschg W, Simgen H (2009) Optimisation of the MC-model of a p-type Ge-spectrometer for the purpose of efficiency determination. Appl Radiat Isot 67:706–710
Boson J, Ågren G, Johansson L (2008) A detailed investigation of HPGe detector response for improved Monte Carlo efficiency calculations. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 587:304–314
Berndt R, Mortreau P (2012) Monte Carlo modelling of a N-type coaxial high purity germanium detector. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 694:341–347
Chuong HD, Thanh TT, Ngoc Trang LT et al (2016) Estimating thickness of the inner dead-layer of n-type HPGe detector. Appl Radiat Isot 116:174–177
Hedman A, Bahar Gogani J, Granström M et al (2015) Characterization of HPGe detectors using computed tomography. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 785:21–25
Saraiva A, Oliveira C, Reis M et al (2016) Study of the response of an ORTEC GMX45 HPGe detector with a multi-radionuclide volume source using Monte Carlo simulations. Appl Radiat Isot 113:47–52
Dryak P, Kovar P, Suran J (2002) Determination of corrections to true summations of photons for measurements in Marinelli beakers. Appl Radiat Isot 56:111–116
Campbell JL, McNelles LA (1974) Americium-241 as a low-energy photon intensity standard. Nucl Instrum Methods 117:519–532
Andreotti E, Hult M, Marissens G et al (2014) Determination of dead-layer variation in HPGe detectors. Appl Radiat Isot 87:331–335
Courtine F, Pilleyre T, Sanzelle S, Miallier D (2008) Ge well detector calibration by means of a trial and error procedure using the dead layers as a unique parameter in a Monte Carlo simulation. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 596:229–234
Dryak P, Kovar P (2006) Experimental and MC determination of HPGe detector efficiency in the 40–2754 keV energy range for measuring point source geometry with the source-to-detector distance of 25cm. Appl Radiat Isot 64:1346–1349
Hau ID, Russ WR, Bronson F (2009) MCNP HPGe detector benchmark with previously validated Cyltran model. Appl Radiat Isot 67:711–715
Guerra JG, Rubiano JG, Winter G et al (2015) A simple methodology for characterization of germanium coaxial detectors by using Monte Carlo simulation and evolutionary algorithms. J Environ Radioact 149:8–18
Quang Huy N (2010) The influence of dead layer thickness increase on efficiency decrease for a coaxial HPGe p-type detector. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A Accel Spectrom Detect Assoc Equip 621:390–394
CERN Program Library Office (1993) GEANT—detector description and simulation tool. CERN, Geneva
Kováčik A, Sýkora I, Povinec PP (2013) Monte Carlo and experimental efficiency calibration of gamma-spectrometers for non-destructive analysis of large volume samples of irregular shapes. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 298:665–672
Breier R, Ješkovský M, Palušová V, Javorník A, Ometáková J, Povinec PP (2019) Monte Carlo simulations of HPGe detectors efficiencies for radon measurements in the air using Marinelli containers. J Environ Radioact (submitted)
Wang Z, Kahn B, Valentine JD (2002) Efficiency calculation and coincidence summing correction for germanium detectors by Monte Carlo simulation. IEEE Trans Nucl Sci 49(I):1925–1931
Huy NQ, Binh DQ, An VX (2012) A study for improving detection efficiency of an HPGe detector based gamma spectrometer using Monte Carlo simulation and genetic algorithms. Appl Radiat Isot 70:2695–2702
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under Contract No. APVV-15-0017.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ješkovský, M., Javorník, A., Breier, R. et al. Experimental and Monte Carlo determination of HPGe detector efficiency. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 322, 1863–1869 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06856-4
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06856-4