Pulse Shape Discrimination For Background Rejection In Germanium Gamma-Ray Detectors

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We report on the development of a pulse shape discrimination (PSD) technique to reject the B-decay background resulting from activation of germanium (Ge) gamma-ray detectors by cosmic ray secondaries. These B-decays are a major source of background at 0.2-2 MeV energies in well shielded Ge detector systems. The technique exploits the difference between the detected current pulse shapes of single- and multiple-site energy depositions within the detector: B-decays are primarily single-site events while photons at these energies typically Compton scatter before being photoelectrically absorbed to produce multiple-site events. Algorithms have been developed to distinguish between single- and multiple-site pulse shapes. Depending upon the amount of background due to sources other than B-decay, PSD can more than double the detector sensitivity. In addition, we report on tests of PSD by laboratory activation of a detector with a fast neutron source, and on the first direct measurement of the B-decay background at balloon float altitude using a Ge detector with PSD.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: