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[22.31] Response of a lead collimator for a gamma-ray telescope to gamma radiation in the energy range 1-100 MeV

I.N. Azcarate (Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomia)

The Monte Carlo method is applied to study the response of a lead collimator 3 cm thick to gamma radiation in the energy range 1-100 MeV, which was part of a gamma-ray telescope. The computation gives the continuum spectrum and the 511 keV line intensity emerging from the inner face of the collimator as a result of the electromagnetic interactions occurring inside it. It is also discussed the resulting background from the decay of the radioactive nuclei generated by the nuclear interactions ( spallation ) of cosmic rays. and neutron capture in lead. The overall results show that the induced instrumental background does not significantly reduce the detector sensitivity as compared to that expected of an ideally ``clean" collimator.

This research was partially supported by Grant PIP 0430/98, from CONICET, Argentina.

The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: azcarate@iar.unlp.edu.ar

Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#2
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.