Study of the response function of a HPGe detector for low-energy X-rays

Accurate processing of low-energy X-ray spectra requires detailed knowledge of the detector response function. This has been determined for a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector by using monochromatized synchrotron radiation in the 1–20 keV energy range. Due to the high peak-to-background ratio, the spectra reveal shapes that were hidden using previous detectors. In addition to escape peaks, features caused by electron interactions...