Spectroscopic performance evaluation and modeling of a low background HPGe detector using GEANT4

Low background gamma spectrometry employing HPGe detectors is a sensitive technique for measuring low-level radioactivity in environmental applications, material screening, and for rare decay searches. This work presents spectroscopic performance evaluation and modeling of a low background measurement setup developed at IIT Ropar in Punjab, India, to measure trace natural radioactive elements, with a particular interest in studying low-level radioactivity in soil and/or rock samples to generate specific inputs for low background experiments. The performance test and characterization of a low background cryocooled HPGe detector with relative efficiency of 33% have been carried out. An effective detector model has been developed using GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation to determine the response of the detector over an energy range of 80.9-1408 keV and compared with the experimental performance of the detector. The response of the detector obtained using Monte Carlo simulations agrees reasonably well within 93% level of confidence, indicating only 7% deviation in the comparison. The present setup offers improved detection limits of primordial radionuclides (U/Th and K) to measure radioactive contamination in environmental matrices, which has been used elsewhere (Thakur, 2023).

Automated summary

This study presents the development of a low background measurement setup using HPGe detectors for measuring low-level radioactivity. The detector's performance was tested and modeled, and the results were compared with experimental data. The setup can be used to measure radioactive contamination in the environment.