Performance of linear classification algorithms on α/γ discrimination for LaBr3:Ce scintillation detectors with various pulse digitizer properties

Abstract

With the development of high-speed readout electronics, the digital pulse shape discrimination (PSD) methods have attracted the attention of more researchers, especially in the field of high energy physics and neutron detection. How to choose a PSD algorithm and corresponding data acquisition system (DAQ) naturally becomes a critical problem to settle down for the detection system designers. In this paper, the relationship between the classification performance of different PSD algorithms and digitizers' sampling properties (including sampling rate and the effective number of bits) has been researched based on LaBr3:Ce scintillation detectors. A self-developed integrated digitizer configured with five different ADCs and a WavePro 404HD oscilloscope were deployed to digitize the waveforms from LaBr3:Ce scintillators. Moreover, three PSD methods, charge comparison method (CCM), least square for classification method (LS) and Fisher's linear discriminant analysis (LDA), based on linear model were applied to discriminate the alpha signals from the intrinsic isotope 227Ac. With the LS method and a 125 MSPS 14-Bit ADC, the FoM value was 1.424±0.042, which is similar to the result from LDA but 31% better than the result of CCM. The discrimination results showed that the performances of LS and LDA are less affected by the sampling rate with respect to the CCM method, which reflects in a better PSD capability. The results of this paper can help the developers of detector systems to make a trade-off among sampling properties, desirable discrimination results and the cost of systems.