A trapezoid approach for the experimental total-to-peak efficiency curve used in the determination of true coincidence summing correction factors in a HPGe detector

Abstract

In this work, a simple method for true coincidence correction is suggested for a voluminous source measured in close detection geometry for a HPGe detector. TrueCoinc program based on Sudár's algorithm was used to determine true coincidence summing correction (TCS) factors by using full energy peak (FEP) efficiency, and total-to-peak (TTP) efficiency curves in which experimental efficiencies are obtained from almost coincident-free radionuclides such as 54Mn, 57Co, 65Zn, 109Cd, 137Cs and 241Am. In order to calculate TTP efficiency curve three different approaches were tested. One of them is new and here called trapezoid approach which was used successfully in determining total count of spectrum for the TTP efficiency curves. According to different TTP determination methods, the changes in true coincidence factors are observed. The FEP efficiency curves are also established for a cylindrical source. Then, TCS factors were determined for the particular peaks of daughters of 226Ra, 238U, and 232Th using the suggested method. Those activities measured from some certified reference materials such as IAEA RGU-1 and RGTh-1 are used to validate the present TCS correction procedure.