Investigating the practicality of a minimally defined co-axial HPGe detector model using MCNP

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An MCNP model of a co-axial HPGe detector, defined by the specification sheet and without parameter optimization, was used to assess practicality for efficiency characterization and complex spectra simulation. Simulated efficiencies, with and without Gaussian energy broadening, were compared against an experimental calibration for a standard counting geometry. Results show that this minimal detector model predicted efficiencies within 6% of experimental values at energies above 100 keV, while including energy broadening offered little improvement. This work shows that extensive detector characterization and optimization of parameters is not absolutely necessary, thereby reducing the experimental burden associated with detector modeling for many applications.