MINIMUM-NOISE FILTER FOR BASE-LINE ESTIMATION IN RADIATION DETECTION SYSTEMS

Baseline height estimation in nuclear pulse spectrometry can be optimi zed by using a proper weight-function. The minimum-noise function for baseline estimation in presence of series and parallel white noises, c onstrained to a finite duration, is theoretically derived in this pape r. Baseline restoration can be subsequently performed by subtracting t he miniwmum-noise baseline estimation to the output signal pulse. The overall signal-to-noise performance obtained using the minimum-noise b aseline estimation for pulse height correction is compared to that obt ained with routinely used Base Line Restorers. An improvement of up to 16% in the Equivalent Noise Charge, with respect to classic baseline restoration, can be theoretically achieved in case of a simple triangu lar pulse shaping. The minimum-noise baseline weight-function can be s ynthesized in practice by means of a digital processing unit.