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The characterisation of AGATA high purity germanium detectors for pulse shape analysis

Gamma-ray spectroscopy is an essential tool in the study of nuclear phenomenon. The study of exotic nuclei and nuclear states have been used to expand the nuclear chart as well as understand the origin of the universe. Large volume high purity germanium arrays, very high beam intensities and more recently exotic beams have lead to new understanding of nuclear physics. The Advanced Gamma Tracking Array (AGATA) aims to utilise high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors in order to achieve a dramatic increase in efficiency over current spectrometers. The work detailed in this thesis shows a highly detailed characterisation of two AGATA asymmetric capsules of the same shape in order to test and compare performances. Detector A004 was acceptance tested and scanned at the University of Liverpool in February 2010. Detector A006 was scanned between April and September 2010. Resolution, efficiency and charge collection parameters have been studied, comparing these two detector. The results of the comparison show an excellent agreement between the performance of the two detectors. The depletion rate of the detectors has also been compared quantitatively indicating the dependence of depletion on impurity concentration of the capsules. An experimental pulse shape database was generated for detector A006. The sensitivity of the detector response was quantified indicating the regions of the detector of high variation in pulse shape response. The AGATA detector library, which used to simulate the detector response for pulse shape analysis, is compared with this database. The position resolution achieved between the two data sets has been calculated. The combination of the detailed comparison and characterisation of the detector with the study of the simulate database will provide the AGATA collaboration with useful information to improve detector simulations in the further for pulse shape analysis.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:579384
Date January 2013
CreatorsColosimo, Samantha
ContributorsBoston, Andrew; Boston, Helen
PublisherUniversity of Liverpool
Source SetsEthos UK
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Sourcehttp://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/11077/

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