Application of a high-precision distributed uranium source for determining the effective mass and volume of a HPGe detector

Abstract

A distributed uranium source with the accurately certified activity of 238U has been used to verify the effective mass of the HPGe detector intended for the {\nu}GeN neutrino experiment. The source, dissolved in nitric acid, provides homogeneous irradiation of the detector crystal allowing the study of its mass and volume. The experimental spectra obtained with the distributed source have been compared to the detailed Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations. The measured counting rates of several gamma-lines agree with the simulated efficiencies, confirming that the detector mass and volume coincide with the manufacturer specifications. The results demonstrate the applicability of such sources for mass calibration of HPGe detectors.