Application of the MTSVD unfolding method for reconstruction of primary X-ray spectra using semiconductor detectors

A thorough knowledge of the primary spectrum is very important to perform a quality control (QC) of X-ray tubes. In previous works, a methodology to assess primary spectrum using a Compton spectrometer and applying the Monte Carlo (MC) method has been analyzed. By means of a Monte Carlo model, a response matrix can be built, relating the Pulse Height Distribution (PHD) recorded in the detector to the primary X-ray spectrum. Subsequently, an unfolding method based on the application of a Modified Truncated Singular Value Decomposition (MTSVD) is applied to the response matrix to assess the primary spectrum. Germanium (Ge), Silicon (Si) and Cadmium-Telluride (CdTe) detectors are considered in this work. The main goal of the paper is to determine whether the MTSVD unfolding method is adequate to provide an acceptable reproduction of spectra for these detectors. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.