Low level gamma-ray germanium-spectrometer to measure very low primordial radionuclide concentrations

A new germanium spectrometer especially suited for large sample measurement s is described in detail. It is operated in the Gran Sasso underground labo ratory under shielding rock of 3300 m water equivalent, which reduces the m uon flux by six orders of magnitude. The integral background counting rate in the energy range from 50 to 2750 keV is about 0.15 min(-1). The low peak count rates of mostly less than 1 count per day together with a relative e fficiency of 102% and the high sample capacity makes this spectrometer one of the most sensitive worldwide. Some sample measurements for the solar neu trino experiment BOREXINO and the detector efficiency calibration by the Mo nte Carlo method are discussed as well. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.