Study of the shape of β spectra

The goal of this PhD work is to build an experimental device dedicated to measuring beta spectra with a precision relevant to modern metrology requirements. The device, which is based on a silicon semi-conductor detector, must take into account certain physical phenomena and detector characteristics which could lead to deformation of the measured spectra. These must be understood and minimized. Monte-Carlo simulations have allowed the geometry and construction materials to be optimized. The quality of the radioactive sources is paramount in obtaining spectra of high-quality. Nonetheless, the measured spectra must be corrected for any remaining distortion. A response function must therefore be determined for each measurement geometry. This can be achieved via Monte-Carlo simulations. The first results show that deconvolution of the measured spectra with the response function makes possible the accurate determination of the true form of the beta spectra. (author)