Experimental testing of the digital multichannel analyzer for gamma spectrometry measurements

Abstract

The results of experimental testing of the digital multichannel analyzer which digitalizes the signal after a preamplifier are presented. The recordings of some of the characteristics of the spectrometer containing a digital MCA, such as full-peak efficiency, net area ratio of the two peaks and the stability of the peak position, were carried out under different input counting rates, with different radioactive sources. The tested MCA has shown some excellent features, like the stability of the peak position over a long-term period and flexibility in the adjusting of optimum measurement conditions. However, the performed tests have also shown some serious and unexpected disadvantages of the digital MCA when it operates under certain circumstances, one of them having to do with the automatic tuning of live-time correction at low-input counting rates.

Keywords

• digital multichannel analyzer
• digital spectrometer
• live-time corrector
• pile-up rejector