FAST-NEUTRON DETECTION WITH GERMANIUM DETECTORS - COMPUTATION OF RESPONSE FUNCTIONS FOR THE 692-KEV INELASTIC-SCATTERING PEAK

The dependence of the shape of the right-sided broadening of the inela stic scattering peak at 692 keV in the pulse-height distribution measu red with a Ge detector in fast neutron fields on the energy of the inc ident neutrons has been analyzed. A model incorporating the process co ntributing to the energy deposition that engender the peak, including the partitioning of the energy deposition by the Ge recoils, was devel oped. With a Monte Carlo code based on this model, the detector respon se associated with this peak was computed and compared with results of measurements with quasi-monoenergetic neutrons for energies between 0 .88 and 2.1 MeV. A set of 80 responses functions for neutron energies in the range from the reaction threshold at 0.7 to 6 MeV was computed, which will serve as a starting point for methods, which aim at obtain ing information on the spectral distribution of fast neutron fields fo r this energy range from measurements with a Ge detector.