Measurement requirements and front-end design rules for gamma-ray tracking in large-volume germanium detectors through pulse-shape analysis

In this paper we address the design of a mixed analogue-digital processor for pulse-shape analysis of signals delivered by large volume High-Purity-Germanium (HPGe) detectors for gamma-ray spectroscopy. The information to be extracted from pulse-shape analysis is the position of the interaction of the /spl gamma/ photon inside the detector. We discuss the structure of the measurement apparatus and the required characteristics of its components, with a special emphasis on the resolution and sampling frequency of the analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). We also address the problem of the occurrence time estimate of the events, which is strictly related to the pulse shape. A modular hardware solution for pulse-shape measurements is proposed.