Environmental radionuclides as contaminants of HPGe gamma-ray spectrometers: Monte Carlo simulations for Modane underground laboratory

Publication date: October 2018
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Volumes 190–191
Author(s): R. Breier, V.B. Brudanin, P. Loaiza, F. Piquemal, P.P. Povinec, E. Rukhadze, N. Rukhadze, I. Štekl
The main limitation in the high-sensitive HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry has been the detector background, even for detectors placed deep underground. Environmental radionuclides such as ⁴⁰K and decay products in the ²³⁸U and ²³²Th chains have been identified as the most important radioactive contaminants of construction parts of HPGe gamma-ray spectrometers. Monte Carlo simulations have shown that the massive inner and outer lead shields have been the main contributors to the HPGe-detector background, followed by aluminum cryostat, copper cold finger, detector holder and the lead ring with FET. The Monte Carlo simulated cosmic-ray background gamma-ray spectrum has been by about three orders of magnitude lower than the experimental spectrum measured in the Modane underground laboratory (4800 m w.e.), underlying the importance of using radiopure materials for the construction of ultra-low-level HPGe gamma-ray spectrometers.



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