Scintillation detectors in gamma spectral logging; geometry, absorption and calibration

The theory for the evaluation of the effects of geometry in gamma ray absorption is developed for cylindrical scintillation detectors as applicable to borehole gamma spectrometry. The results of a laboratory experiment are shown for comparison. A calibration procedure to determine detector efficiency is given for application to borehole probes. It is shown that the response of a crystal can be separated in terms of geometric effects and instrumentation effects. It is also shown that approximating crystal detectors with point detectors in mathematical theory is grossly oversimplified. (USGS)