Optimal conditions for protecting the germanium detector used in the PGNAA analysis method

Khelifa Boukeffoussa; Amel Dib; Hakim Ammi; Rachid Toukal

Khelifa Boukeffoussa Division of Development and Application of Nuclear Techniques, Algiers Nuclear Research Center, Algiers, Algeria
Amel Dib Division of Development and Application of Nuclear Techniques, Algiers Nuclear Research Center, Algiers, Algeria
Hakim Ammi Division of Development and Application of Nuclear Techniques, Algiers Nuclear Research Center, Algiers, Algeria
Rachid Toukal Division of Development and Application of Nuclear Techniques, Algiers Nuclear Research Center, Algiers, Algeria

Keywords: PGNAA, MCNP, Damage caused by fast neutrons to the HPGe detector, neutrons source, PGNAA optimisation

Abstract

The use of high-purity germanium detectors in neutron activation analysis experiments is the best choice and may be the only one due to its ability to separate close peaks, reaching a separation capacity of 1.8 keV. Unfortunately, fast neutrons cannot be prevented from passing through it because they are more permeable than photons. It has been observed that the germanium detector loses some of its properties after being exposed to a certain dose of fast neutrons. This is due to the distortion caused by fast neutrons on the crystal structure of germanium. In the experiment proposed in this work, we aim to determine the optimal conditions for operating the analyser using Prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) method, i.e., the conditions that maximize the number of photons incident on the detector and minimize the number of neutrons passing through it, in addition to studying the damage that occurs to the detector after being exposed to increasing doses of fast neutrons during the operation of the analyser.

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