Development of HPGe Detectors for Ultra High Rate Spectroscopy and Imaging

ORAL

Abstract

While High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors are the gold standard for high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy, conventional, coaxial HPGe detectors show significant performance degradation at high rates (tens of thousands of counts per second (cps)).

Based on previous work, a new HPGe detector prototype has been designed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). It is intended to maintain resolution and throughput performance at ultra-high rates (5 Mcps) and feature 3D position sensitivity. Such a device has many potential uses in basic and applied nuclear science including efficient prompt spectroscopy of superheavy elements and isotope harvesting.

The detector geometry, a double-sided strip detector with fine strip pitch, was selected by performing analytic and numerical calculations to evaluate the expected efficiency, throughput, timing, energy and position resolution for various geometries and electrode configurations. The design of this prototype and initial results from fabrication efforts will be presented.

*This work was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under U.S. Department of Energy Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

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Presenters

  • Joanna M Szornel

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Authors

  • Joanna M Szornel

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Paul Barton

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Reynold J Cooper

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Heather Crawford

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab, Argonne Natl Lab, Los Alamos Natl Lab, University of Connecticut, iThemba LABS, University of Maryland
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Alexey Drobizhev

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
    • Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab

  • Mustapha Saad

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Marco Salathe

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab

  • Kai Vetter

    • Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory