Applications of Monte Carlo calculations to gamma-spectrometric measurements of environmental samples

A set of computer programs, based on the Monte Carlo method, has been developed to complement the experimental calibration procedures used in the gamma-spectrometric measurements of environmental samples. All common measuring geometries (cylindrical, Marinelli, spherical and point sources) and detectors [HPGe, Ge(Li)] can be simulated. Self-attenuation effects, coincidence-summing corrections, full energy peak efficiency and efficiency variations due to non-uniform activity distribution in the source, can be computed with efficient procedures, running on personal computers.