Comparison of gamma-ray coincidence and low-background gamma-ray singles spectrometry

Aerosol samples have been studied under different background conditions using gamma-ray coincidence and low-background gamma-ray singles spectrometric techniques with High-Purity Germanium detectors. Conventional low-background gamma-ray singles counting is a competitive technique when compared to the gamma-gamma coincidence approach in elevated background conditions. However, measurement of gamma-gamma coincidences can clearly make the identification of different nuclides more reliable and efficient than using singles spectrometry alone. The optimum solution would be a low-background counting station capable of both singles and gamma-gamma coincidence spectrometry.