Publication Date: 5/1/74
    Pages: 8
    Date Entered: 1/5/93
    Title: Specifications for Ge(Li) Spectroscopy Systems for Material Protection Measurements, Revision 1
    Revision 1
    May 1974
    U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
    REGULATORY GUIDE
    DIRECTORATE OF REGULATORY STANDARDS
    REGULATORY GUIDE 5.9
    SPECIFICATIONS FOR Ge(Li) SPECTROSCOPY SYSTEMS
    FOR MATERIAL PROTECTION MEASUREMENTS
    PART I: DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
A. INTRODUCTION
    (*) Section 70.51, "Material Balance, Inventory, and Records
    Requirements," of 10 CFR Part 70, "Special Nuclear Material," requires,
    in part, that licensees authorized to possess at any one time more than
    one effective kilogram of special nuclear material establish and
    maintain a system of control and accountability such that the limit of
    error of any material unaccounted for (MUF), ascertained as a result of
    a measured material balance, meets established minimum standards. The
    selection and proper application of an adequater measurement method for
    each of the material forms in the fuel cycle is essential for the
    maintenance of these standards.
    This is the first in a two-part series of guides which present
    specifications for lithium-drifted germanium, Ge(Li), gamma ray
    spectroscopy systems. This guidance applies to the selection of a
    special nuclear material (SNM) assay system which utilizes gamma ray
    spectroscopy for the quantitative determination of the SNM content and a
    qualitative determination of the radionuclide abundances. Within each
    of the guides in this series, Data Acquisition and Data Reduction,
    variations of a basic spectroscopy system are defined and individual
    specifications provided. The procedures for applying these systems to
    specific materials and the analysis of the reduced data is the subject
    of a later guide.
B. DISCUSSION
1. Background
    Gamma ray spectroscopy systems have been used for the
    nondestructive assay (NDA) of various special nuclear material forms
    encountered in the fuel cycle both for quantitative determination of the
    special nuclear material content, and for the determination of
    radionuclide abundances. In addition to the NDA of bulk materials,
    gamma ray spectroscopy is used in the analysis of specially prepared,
    homogeneous laboratory samples.
    ----------
    (*) Indicates change from previous issue.
    ----------
    There is no single gamma-ray spectroscopy system available which
    is satisfactory for all applications nor is there a standard which
    defines and specifies the type or types of systems to be used in each of
    the above applications. This guide defines and details the
    specifications for gamma ray spectroscopy data acquisition systems
    appropriate for special nuclear material assay.
    The scope of this guide is limited to the consideration of Ge(Li)
    gamma ray spectroscopy systems. No discussion of thallium-activated
    sodium iodide, NaI(Tl), gamma ray systems is presented. In addition, no
    discussion of applications of gamma ray spectroscopy is presented. The
    measurement procedures (including calibration), analysis methods,
    inherent limitations, and overall precision and accuracy are specific to
    each application and are therefore the subject of separate application
    guides.
    An elementary introduction to the concepts associated with the
    application of Ge(Li) spectroscopy to problems of nuclear material assay
    is available.(1) Descriptions of the physical processes of gamma ray
    detection, discussions of important instrumentation characteristics, and
    a step-by-step description of a simple assay problem are included in
    this document. Relevant information presented at a somewhat higher
    technical level, including nomenclature and definitions, is contained in
    two useful standards documents.(2,3) These describe detailed techniques
    for defining and obtaining meaningful performance data for Ge(Li)
    detectors and amplifiers. The glossary of technical terms found in both
    these standards documents will prove valuable to those unfamiliar with
    gamma-ray spectroscopic nomenclature.
    ----------
    (1) L. A. Kull, "An Introduction to Ge(Li) and NaI Gamma-Ray
    Detectors for Safeguards Applications," ANL-AECA-103 (1973).
    ----------
    Finally, there is a considerable amount of valuable background
    material published by the manufacturers of detectors and associated
    electronic hardware which is available from them on request.
2. Functional Description
    A block diagram of those components of the Ge(Li) spectroscopy
    system which perform the data acquisition function in material
    protection measurements is shown in Fig. 1. The function of these
    components is first to convert the charge produced by the interaction of
    an incident gamma ray with the Ge(Li) detector into an amplified, analog
    electrical signal. The analog signal is then converted into digital
    information which can be stored, displayed, and otherwise processed by
    appropriate data reduction and analytical modules.
3. Types of Systems
    There are three variations of the basic data acquisition system
    presented in this guideline. This variance in the basic configuration
    is the result of attempts to optimize each system to obtain specific
    assay information from certain types of material forms.
    The three variations of the basic system are described below and
    will be referred to by Roman numeral in the remainder of the document.
    (For example, System II refers to paragraph II below.) I. A moderate to high efficiency system having an energy
    resolution which is adequate for assays of materials for the fissile
    isotopes (241)Pu, (239)Pu, (235)U, and (233)U. It can also be used to
    perform assays of materials for fertile isotipes such as (232)Th and
    (238)U and to determine the "age" of plutonium samples from measurements
    of their americium-241 content. This system is used in those
    applications where NaI resolution is inadequate to accurately resolve
    the gamma ray lines of the isotopes of interest from those from an
    interfering background and where the lower efficiency Ge(Li) detector
    still provides sufficient sensitivity for practical assay work. The
    system is designed to measure gamma rays with energies greater than 120
    keV.
    ----------
    (2) "Test Procedure for Amplifiers and Preamplifiers for
    Semiconductor Radiation Detectors," IEEE Std 301-1969. The Institute of
    Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (1969).
    (3) "Test Procedures for Germanium Gamma-Ray Detectors," IEEE Std
    325-1971. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
    (1971).
    ----------
    II. A moderate to high efficiency system which can satisfy all
    the requisites for System I and which, in addition, has the improved
    energy resolution necessary to assay for the plutonium isotopes 238
    through 241. This system is commonly used to determine the relative
    radionuclide abundances and is designed to measure gamma rays with
    energies greater than 120 keV.
    III. A system designed specifically for low-energy gamma ray and
    X-ray spectroscopy (at gamma ray energies less than 200 keV) having an
    energy resolution adequate to perform quantitative and qualitative
    assays of specially prepared samples for the isotopes of plutonium
    (238-241) and uranium (235 and 238).
4. Equipment Acceptance Practices
    Standard practices regarding the final acceptance of equipment are
    usually prescribed by individual companies, laboratories, or
    departments. However, some of the following procedures have been found
    to be useful in providing the user with the assurance that he will
    acquire equipment which will perform as expected in nuclear material
    assay applications.
    Equipment descriptions (including the theory of operation) and
    instructional material covering operation, maintenance, and servicing of
    all electronic components should be supplied for individual components
    or complete systems. Such descriptions should include complete and
    accurate schematic diagrams for possible in-house equipment servicing.
    Carefully specified operational tests of system performance should be
    made at the vendor's facility and the original data supplied to the user
    before equipment delivery is scheduled, with final acceptance based on
    the user's own performance data taken at the user's facility.
    It is necessary to have calibration sources on hand to verify the
    operational capabilities of the system. The following radioactive
    sources (with appropriate activities) will provide sufficient counting
    rates to perform the tests specified in the regulatory position:
    (60)Co--10-30 muCi
    (57)Co--1-10 muCi
C. REGULATORY POSITION
    Lithium-drifted germanium, Ge(Li), gamma ray spectroscopy data
    acquisition systems meeting the operating specifications given below are
    considered adequate for use in special nuclear materials assay. The
    selection of a system meeting these specifications is considered
    necessary but not sufficient for accurate gamma ray spectroscopic assay
    requiring resolution better than obtainable with NaI. No guarantee of
    measurement quality as a result of the application of such systems
    should be assumed.
    The emphasis here is on the operating specifications related to
    the overall performance of the entire data acquisition system.
    Component specifications have been included in Appendix A to provide
    guidance in the selection of original or replacement components which
    are essential if adequate system performance is to be attained. The
    system operating performance should not be deduced from the component
    performances; overall system performance should be checked independently
    and compared to the operating specifications presented here.
1. Energy Resolution and Peak Shape
    (Systems I, II, III) The energy resolution of the system should be
    measured according to the procedure specified in IEEE Standard
    325-1971,(4) with the following additional stipulations: (1) the
    peaking time(5) for the shaping amplifier should be no greater than 4
    musec; (2) the total number of counts in the center channel of the peak
    should be no less than 10(4) counts; (3) the count rate during the
    measurement should be in the range 10(2) to 10(3) counts per second as
    measured with a total count rate meter. The full width of the peak at
    half maximum (FWHM) and full width at tenth-maximum (FWTM) are as
    defined in IEEE Standard 325-1971.(6) The full width at 1/50 maximum
    (FW.02M) is defined in a similar manner. The energy resolution and peak
    shape specifications for each of the systems (I, II, III) are given in
    Table 1 and the measured values should be no greater than those shown
    here. These values have been determined to be necessary for the
    applications defined in B.3. above.
2. Detection Efficiency
    (Systems I, II) The full energy peak efficiency (in percent) is
    defined relative to the full energy peak efficiency of a 3 in. x 3 in.
    NaI(Tl) scintillation detector for 1.33 MeV gamma rays ((60)Co) at a
    source-detector distance of 25.0 cm. The detailed procedures for
    determining the efficiency in accordance with this definition are
    presented in IEEE Standard 325-1971.(7) The efficiency required for specific assay applications should be
    determined by estimating the gamma ray intensity at the detector from a
    sample of known strength and the counting rates required to collect a
    statistically significant number of counts under the spectrum peaks of
    interest in a reasonable period of time Estimates should be corrected
    for sample-to-detector distance and the effects of absorbing materials
    placed between the sample and detector. Whenever possible, it is
    advisable to make preliminary measurements on the samples under
    consideration with an available detector, and the efficiency of the
    optimal detector determined by extrapolating the measured results. A
    nominal estimate of the detector efficiency (as defined above) required
    for most applications is approximately 8%; however, detectors with
    efficiencies in the range of 5% to 20% are in use for nuclear material
    assays. (To assist in providing some perspective here, an 8% detector
    as specified above has an active volume of about 40 cc while 5 to 20%
    detectors have volumes of about 25 cc to 110 cc, respectively. An 8%
    detector has absolute detection efficiencies of about 15 x 10(-4) @ 185
    keV, 4.5 x 10(-4) @ 411 keV, and 0.96 x 10(-4) @ 1.33 MeV at a
    source-detector separation of 25 cm.)----------
    (4) IEEE Std 325-1971, op. cit., Section 4.
    (5) Peaking time-the time required for a pulse to reach its
    maximum height. Peaking times can be easily measured with an
    oscilloscope and are less susceptible to misinterpretation than are RC
    time constants. The relationship between RC time constants and peaking
    time varies as their is no standard method for defining RC time
    constants in semi-Gaussian shaping networks.
    (6) IEEE Std 325-1971, op. cit., Section 3.
    (7) Ibid., Section 5.2.
    ----------
    (System III) The method described above for determining the
    detection efficiency with a high energy gamma ray source is not relevant
    for detectors used in low-energy gamma ray spectroscopy. Instead, it is
    more appropriate to specify, (1) the active volume of the detector and
    (2) the maximum effect of absorbing materials (absorbing materials
    include detector surface "dead layers," gold surface plating, and the
    end cap window of the cryostat). The following specifications are
    therefore given for the low-energy gamma ray system:
    a. detector volume--1.0 to 1.5 cc
    b. drift depletion depth--0.5 to 0.7 cm
    c. layers of absorbing material between the radiation source
    and the active volume of the detector must be thin enough so that the
    14.4 keV peak from a (57)Co source is at least 5 times the continuum
    background under the peak.(8)3. Count Rate Capabilities
    The following specifications are related to a system's ability to
    maintain adequate energy resolution at high count rates.
    (Systems I, II) The system should be capable of operating at a
    total counting rate of 10(4) cps from a (60)Co source (as measured with
    a total count rate meter) with less than a 10% relative increase in the
    1.33 MeV peak width at 1/10 the maximum peak height (FWTM) as compared
    to the FWTM value measured at 10(2) to 10(3) cps.
    (System III) The system should be capable of operating at a total
    counting rate of 5 x 10(3) cps from a (57)Co source (as measured with a
    total count rate meter) with less than a 10% relative increase in the
    FWHM and FW.02M of the 122 keV peak as compared to the values obtained
    at 10(3) cps.
    ----------
    (8) Care should be taken to ensure that the (57)Co source
    encapsulation is thin enough (<100 mg/cm(2) plastic or the equivalent)
    so that self absorption in the source itself is not significant.
    ----------
4. Peak-to-Compton Ratio
    (Systems I, II) The peak-to-Compton ratio for the 1.33 MeV peak
    from a (60)Co source as defined in IEEE Standard 325-1971(9) should be
    greater than the values specified in Table 2 for corresponding detector
    efficiencies.
    (System III) This specification is not applicable.
5. Linearity and Stability
    (Systems I, II, III) The integral non linearity of the data
    acquisition system's energy calibration should be less than 0.2% over
    the top 95% of the ADC range. The system nonlinearity should be
    measured using a set of well-known gamma ray sources and the procedure
    described in the literature.(10,11)----------
    (9) IEEE Std 325-1971, op. cit., Section 3.4.
    ----------
    The long-term stability requirement for the system's zero channel
    and gain should be defined as follows: the drift in the position of a
    spectrum peak from a calibration source should be less than 0.1%
    (compared to full scale) in a 24-hour period at constant room
    temperature. (For example, the centroid of a calibration peak placed in
    approximately channel 4000 of 4096 channel spectrum should not vary in
    position by more than 4 channels over a 24-hour period.) The
    temperature coefficient of the system's zero channel and gain should be
    less than 0.02%/degrees C in the temperature range from 0 degree to 50
    degrees C.
    ----------
    (10) R. C. Greenwood, R. G. Helmer, and R. G. Gehrke, "Precise
    Comparison and Measurement of Gamma-Ray Energies with a Ge(Li) Detector
I. 50-420 keV," Nucl. Instr. and Methods 77, 141 (1970).
    (11) R. G. Helmer, R. C. Greenwood and R. G. Gehrke, "Precise
    Comparison and Measurement of Gamma-Ray Energies with a Ge(Li) Detector
    II. 400-1300 kev," Nuclear. Instr. and Methods 96, 173 (1971.)
    ----------
    APPENDIX A
    COMPONENT SPECIFICATIONS
1. Detector Crystal Geometry
    (Systems, I, II) The detector should be of the closed end, coaxial
    drift, right circular cylinder type; this configuration has the maximum
    fraction of usable active volume for detectors of moderate to high
    efficiency. The crystal diameter should be approximately equal to its
    length to minimize any unusual efficiency vs. geometry effects. The
    active volume of the detector should comprise at least 90% of the total
    crystal volume with the undrifted core diameter kept as small as
    economically possible. This maximizes the probability that a gamma-ray
    interaction will appear in the full energy peak of the spectrum. (Note:
    The specification on peak-to-Compton ratio given in Section C.4 is
    directly related to the crystal's active/total volume atio.) (System III) The detector should be of the planar type. Small
    detectors of this configuration offer the best resolution available for
    low-energy gamma rays. Operating specifications are given in Section C.2
    that define the allowable thickness of detector surface "dead layers"
    which absorb low-energy gamma rays before they interact in the
    detector's active volume.
    (Systems I, II, III) Methods for specifying the physical size for
    the detector crystals are covered in Section C.2.
2. Detector Mounting and Cryostat Description
    (Systems I, II, III) There are four detector cryostat
    configurations which are typically available: (1) right angle
    dip-stick, (2) upright dip-stick, (3) gravity feed, and (4) side entry
    (portable). Of these, the right angle dip-stick is widely used for
    Systems I and II and the upright dip-stick for System III; the
    configuration selected should be that considered to be most useful for a
    specific application. For reliable operation, the vacuum in the
    detector housing should be maintained by a zeolite getter. It is
    recommended that the liquid nitrogen Dewar have a minimum capacity of
    about 30 liters and a holding time of at least 10 days. The Dewar
    should have a connection which allows replenishment of the liquid
    nitrogen supply without removing the cryostat. A separate high-voltage
    input to the cryostat housing should be provided in the event it is
    necessary or desirable to apply a detector bias which exceeds the rating
    of the preamplifier's high-voltage input. It is recommended that the
    high-voltage input be clearly marked and located at least 2.0 cm from
    the preamplifier signal output. The distance between the detector's
    front surface and the window in the housing should be less than or equal
    to 1.0 cm to allow one to achieve minimal detector-sample separations
    when necessary.
3. Preamplifiers
    (Systems I, II) In many cases preamplifiers compatible with
    nuclear material spectroscopy applications are purchased in combination
    with a Ge(Li) crystal as a package. The detector specifications
    therefore relate to the detector-preamplifier combination; however, the
    following additional specifications should be included in the selection
    of an optimal system. A charge sensitive preamplifier should be mounted
    on the cryostat near the detector. The field effect transistor (FET) in
    the first stage of the preamplifier should be operated at room
    temperature (~300 degrees K).(12) The detector should be d.c. coupled
    (as opposed to capacitively coupled) to the gate of the input stage of
    the preamplifier for better energy resolution.
    The following procedures are recommended to minimize the
    probability of destroying the FET due to detector warmup or high-voltage
    transients. Positive high voltage should be used, and there should be
    at least one filter section placed in the high-voltage system internal
    to the cryostat. At least one filter should also be placed external to
    the cryostat to reduce the possibility of short circuiting due to
    condensate formation on the internal filter. The total RC time constant
    of the filter network should be at least 30 seconds.
    (System III) Same as above for Systems I and II except that the
    FET in the preamplifier's first stage should be located within the
    cyrostat and operated at liquid nitrogen (LN) temperature. An LN cooled
    FET is required to achieve the excellent energy resolution
    characteristics of this system.
4. Main Amplifier
    (Systems I, II, III) A main amplifier with adjustable gain should
    include unipolar, semi-Gaussian pulse shaping networks with adjustable
    time constants corresponding to peaking times between 1 and 8 musec. (1
    to 4 musec peaking times are typically used for Systems I and II while
    peaking times as long as 8 musec could be used in System III.) This
    choice of amplifier provides minimum resolfing time for a given energy
    resolution and sufficient flexibility to optimize the amplifier
    characteristics for most counting conditions. Nominal specifications to
    aid in identifying this class of amplifiers, commonly referred to as
    spectroscopy amplifiers, include the following: linear range 0 to 10V,
    integral nonlinearity <0.05%, temperature stability <100 ppm gain
    shift/degrees C, and thermal noise <5muV rms referred to the input for 4
    musec peaking times (the noise level varies inversely with the peaking
    time). The main amplifier should be a standard NIM(13) module.
    ----------
    (12) (System II only) The preamplifier's first stage FET may be
    located within the cryostat and operated at liquid nitrogen
    temperatures, but in order to facilitate possible FET replacement, it is
    recommended that a detector be selected which attains adequate energy
    resolution with an uncooled FET.
    ----------
    At counting rates greater than ~10(3) cps, problems such as
    degradation of the energy resolution resulting in a loss of counts in
    the spectrum peaks begin to occur. These effects are due to the overlap
    of portions of two or more pulses in time and to baseline fluctuations.
    The magnitude of these effects can be minimized by the inclusion of the
    following features in the amplifier's design: (1) a baseline restorer
    (BLR) circuit at the amplifier output and (2) pole-zero cancelled
    coupling networks. The BLR circuit should be adjustable for both low
    and high counting rate conditions.(14)5. Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) (Systems I, II, III) The ADC should be capable of digitizing pulse
    amplitudes from the amplifier in the range of 0 to 10 volts in at least
    4096 channels. The frequency of the internal clock should be at least
    50 megahertz to handle high counting rates with nominal ADC dead time
    losses. The integral nonlinearity should be less than 0.15% over the
    top 95% of full scale and the differential nonlinearity should be less
    than 1.0% over the top 95% of full scale for semi-Gaussian pulses with
    peaking times of 1 to musec. These linearity specifications are not
    stringent, but are adequate to enable identification of unknown peaks
    which may appear in a spectrum.
    The short-term zero channel and gain drifts should be <
    .01%/degrees C and < .02%/degrees C, respectively (the percentage refers
    to full scale), in the temperature range from 0 degree to 50 degrees C.
    For long term stability, the peak from a stable pulser should not shift
    by more than one channel over a 24-hour period for a line voltage of
    115V plus minus 10%, 50-65 Hz, and at constant room temperature. (Note:
    The ADC drift and linearity spefifications are closely related to the
    overall system stability and linearity operating specifications
    described in Section C.5.)----------
    (13) NIM-Nuclear Instrument Module, see USAEC Technical
    Information Document, Standard Nuclear Instrument Modules, Revision 3,
    TID-20893 (1969).
    (14) For more details on BLR circuits see V. Radeka, "Effect of
    'Baseline Restoration' on Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Pulse Amplitude
    Measurements," Rev. Sci. Instr. 38, 1397 (1967).
    ----------
    The ADC should be capable of being DC coupled to the main
    amplifier in order that BLR circuits can be used. A digital offset
    capability in the ADC is recommended. (Note: In some systems the ADC
    is an integral part of a multichannel analyzer, a unit which also
    performs the functions of data storage, display, and sometimes
    rudimentary analysis. These latter functions are taken up in Part 2 of
    this series. In multichannel analyzer systems, however, the ADC
    function is usually specified separately and can be compared with the
    above recommendations.) (System I) For certain applications where energy resolution is
    definitely not critical, all the ADC specifications above are applicable
    with the exception that a 1024 channel capacity with a 1024 digital
    offset may be adequate to provide a sufficiently small energy interval
    per channel (keV/channel) to cover a limited energy range of interest.
    It should be emphasized, however, that this choice may restrict the
    effective use of the system for other applications.
6. Power Supplies
    (Systems I, II, III) The system power supplies (detector high
    voltage, preamplifier, and NIM bin) should be capable of operating the
    system within the operating specifications listed in Section C.1 when
    supplied with 115 volts (@@ 10%) at 50 to 65 hertz (at constant room
    temperature). The detector bias power supply should have an adjustable
    output that is short circuit protected with automatic power restoration
    after removal of the short. The maximum output voltage is determined by
    detector requirements: 5 kilovolts is sufficient for most applications.
    (Due to database constraints, Tables 1, 2, and Figure 1 are not
    included. Please contact LIS to obtain a copy.)
    50