High-purity germanium semiconductor modeling in the detector response function toolkit

Journal Article · 01 April 2024 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169313 · OSTI ID:2335757

Ahl, Corey David  ^[1]; Andrews, Madison Theresa  ^[2]; Bates, Cameron Russell  ^[2]; Borgwardt, Tyler Cody  ^[2]; Meierbachtol, Krista Cruse  ^[2]; Woldegiorgis, Surafel Fantaye  ^[2]; Lukosi, Eric ^[3]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); UT Institute for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing, Knoxville, TN (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); UT Institute for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing, Knoxville, TN (United States)

In this study, we have extended the detector response function toolkit (DRiFT) to provide modeling capabilities of semiconductor sensors. DRiFT provides realistic nuclear instrumentation response by post-processing Monte-Carlo N-particle (MCNP®) radiation transport outputs. MCNP® is capable of modeling radiation transport in complex environments, but has limited detector physics and readout electronics modeling capabilities. Semiconductor detector response can be calculated with a high-fidelity for a flexible range of environments by utilizing MCNP® to simulate radiation interactions inside of detector volumes, and then using DRiFT to model charge transport and signal formation in the semiconductor, as well as the readout electronics. DRiFT models charge transport in the semiconductor, the preamplifier, shaping amplifier, pulse pile-up, and electronic noise to generate detector response. The semiconductor application in DRiFT can model a range of semiconductor materials, shapes, and sizes; and is demonstrated here for a large volume coaxial high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. Here, we compare detector response functions of a coaxial HPGe detector with measurement of ⁶⁰Co, ¹³³Ba, and ¹³⁷Cs at varying count rates, and we conduct a parameter study to demonstrate the effect of changing parameters in the DRiFT simulation. The HPGe detector response function shows excellent agreement with measurements of difference sources with varying dead times and count rates.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
• Grant/Contract Number: 89233218CNA000001
• OSTI ID: 2335757
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--23-33054
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Journal Name: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment Vol. 1063; ISSN 0168-9002
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English