Monte Carlo method for gamma spectrometry based on GEANT4 toolkit: Efficiency calibration of BE6530 detector

Guembou Shouop Cebastien Joel; Ndontchueng Moyo Maurice; Nguelem Mekongtso Eric Jilbert; Motapon Ousmanou; Strivay David

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.03.015

Monte Carlo method for gamma spectrometry based on GEANT4 toolkit: Efficiency calibration of BE6530 detector

J Environ Radioact. 2018 Sep:189:109-119. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.03.015. Epub 2018 Apr 10.

Authors

Guembou Shouop Cebastien Joel¹, Ndontchueng Moyo Maurice², Nguelem Mekongtso Eric Jilbert³, Motapon Ousmanou⁴, Strivay David⁵

Affiliations

¹ Atomic and Nuclear Spectroscopy, Archeometry, University of Liège, Bat. B15 Sart Tilman, 4000, Liege 1, Belgium; Fundamental Physics Laboratory, Mathematics, Applied Computer Sciences and Fundamental Physics, University of Douala, P.O.Box 24157 Douala, Cameroon; National Radiation Protection Agency, P.O. Box 33732, Yaounde, Cameroon. Electronic address: sebastianguembou@gmail.com.
² National Radiation Protection Agency, P.O. Box 33732, Yaounde, Cameroon; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, P.O. Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon.
³ Fundamental Physics Laboratory, Mathematics, Applied Computer Sciences and Fundamental Physics, University of Douala, P.O.Box 24157 Douala, Cameroon; National Radiation Protection Agency, P.O. Box 33732, Yaounde, Cameroon.
⁴ Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, P.O. Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon.
⁵ Atomic and Nuclear Spectroscopy, Archeometry, University of Liège, Bat. B15 Sart Tilman, 4000, Liege 1, Belgium.

PMID: 29653355
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.03.015

Abstract

The combination of gamma-ray spectrometry, the development of related Monte Carlo method and the GEANT4 (GEometry ANd Tracking) toolkit have been developed for gamma spectrometry simulation. The main objective was to validate simulation models of broad energy germanium (BEGe) detector geometry built in our laboratory (BE6530 model). Monte Carlo simulation of the geometry of BE6530 detector for efficiency calibration was carried out with GEANT4 toolkit. The simulated efficiencies curves using MC were compared with experimental results. Measurement uncertainties for both simulation and experimental estimations of the efficiency were assessed in order to see whether the consequences of the realistic measurement fall inside adequate cut-off points. The validation of the simulation was carried out by experimentally estimating the activity concentration in a reference sample and the comparison showed good correlation between experimental and simulation. Therefore, from the outcomes of this study, it can be concluded that Monte-Carlo simulation is a helpful, reasonable option that additionally gives more prominent adaptability, greater flexibility, precision and accuracy, and gained time when determining the detector response and efficiency in routine of environmental radioactivity monitoring.

Keywords: BE6530; Efficiency; GEANT4 toolkit; Gamma spectrometry; Monte Carlo method; Simulation.

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Calibration
Computer Simulation
Germanium
Monte Carlo Method
Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation
Radiation Monitoring / methods
Software
Spectrometry, Gamma / instrumentation
Spectrometry, Gamma / methods*

Substances

Germanium