Performance of a segmented HPGe detector at KRISS

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Instrumentation Science

Background:

• High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors are crucial for gamma-ray spectroscopy.
• Digitized data acquisition systems (DAQ) are essential for modern nuclear instrumentation.
• Advanced signal processing is needed for accurate gamma-ray tracking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel digitized data acquisition system (DAQ) for a 24-segmented HPGe coaxial detector.
• To assess the performance of the DAQ in characterizing gamma-ray signals and spectra.
• To enable advanced gamma-ray tracking capabilities.

Main Methods:

• A 24-segmented HPGe coaxial detector was coupled with a custom DAQ.
• The DAQ incorporated a high-speed digitizer (5 × 10^7 samples/s), FPGA, and real-time OS.
• Performance was evaluated using a Cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) source, analyzing FWHM, rise time, signal characteristics, and spectra.
• An in-house gamma-ray tracking system was used for data processing.

Main Results:

• The developed DAQ system successfully acquired and processed signals from the segmented HPGe detector.
• Key signal parameters such as Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) and rise time were evaluated.
• Spectral data from a ¹³⁷Cs source provided insights into detector and DAQ performance.
• The system demonstrated potential for effective gamma-ray tracking.

Conclusions:

• The novel digitized DAQ system is suitable for high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with segmented HPGe detectors.
• The system's components and processing capabilities facilitate detailed signal analysis and gamma-ray tracking.
• This advancement contributes to improved nuclear measurement techniques and applications.