Marc Bean

Monte Carlo simulation of a PhosWatch detector using Geant4 for xenon isotope beta-gamma coincidence spectrum profile and detection efficiency calculations.

A simulation tool has been developed using the Geant4 Toolkit to simulate a PhosWatch single channel beta-gamma coincidence detection system consisting of a CsI(Tl)/BC404 Phoswich well detector and pulse shape analysis algorithms implemented digital signal processor. The tool can be used to simulate the detectors response for all the gamma rays and beta particles emitted from (135)Xe, (133m)Xe, (133)Xe, (131m)Xe and (214)Pb. Two- and three-dimensional beta-gamma coincidence spectra from the PhosWatch detector can be produced using the simulation tool. The accurately simulated spectra could be used to calculate system coincidence detection efficiency for each xenon isotope, the corrections for the interference from the various spectral components from radon and xenon isotopes, and system gain calibration. Also, it can generate two- and three-dimensional xenon reference spectra to test beta-gamma coincidence spectral deconvolution analysis software.

An Optimized Design of Single-Channel Beta-Gamma Coincidence Phoswich Detector by Geant4 Monte Carlo Simulations

An optimized single-channel phoswich well detector design has been proposed and assessed in order to improve beta-gamma coincidence measurement sensitivity of xenon radioisotopes. This newly designed phoswich well detector consists of a plastic beta counting cell (BC404) embedded in a CsI(Tl) crystal coupled to a photomultiplier tube. The BC404 is configured in a cylindrical pipe shape to minimise light collection deterioration. The CsI(Tl) crystal consists of a rectangular part and a semicylindrical scintillation part as a light reflector to increase light gathering. Compared with a PhosWatch detector, the final optimized detector geometry showed 15% improvement in the energy resolution of a 131mXe 129.4 keV conversion electron peak. The predicted beta-gamma coincidence efficiencies of xenon radioisotopes have also been improved accordingly.

Gamma spectrum and coincidence summation simulations with Geant4 in the analysis of radionuclide using BEGe detector

A Geant4 application has been developed to simulate the gamma spectrum of a BEGe detector. The summation effects were encompassed for both random and true coincidences through a time-based approach. The application well reproduces the typical spectral features such as full energy peaks, escape peaks, summation peaks and Compton/backscatter continuum. The simulated gamma response is consistent with empirical data within 3%, while simulations of the X-ray and baseline regions are valid within a 10% deviation.