Analysis of HPGe gamma spectrum components and instrumental techniques for the optimization of spectrometric measurements

Abstract

The analysis of gamma spectra, particularly those acquired with HPGe detectors, requires specialized expertise in order to correctly process the data and to identify and quantify the radionuclides present in a radioactive sample. Numerous studies have been carried out to improve the accuracy and reliability of gamma spectral analyses. However, the majority of existing review articles adopt a very general approach and focus mainly on numerical and mathematical methods, leaving little room for concrete instrumental techniques and for the physical origin of the observed phenomena. In this context, a thorough understanding of the different components of a gamma spectrum is essential to ensure reliable and accurate analysis. The literature shows that, although many studies exist, they often focus on specific aspects of the spectrum or on purely numerical treatments, which creates a lack of comprehensive review articles covering all spectral components and instrumental approaches. The present article complements our previous study (El Amri et al., J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2025, 40(11), 3082–3096), which addressed in detail all numerical and analytical mathematical techniques used for gamma spectrum analysis. Here, we focus on methods applied at the instrumental level, deliberately limiting the use of numerical and mathematical approaches in order to emphasize experimental and practical techniques actually implemented in laboratories and instrumental environments. This approach makes it possible to directly link the observed phenomena to their physical causes while providing a concrete and usable framework for the analysis of gamma spectra.