Monte Carlo simulation of tritium beta-ray induced X-ray spectrum in various gases

Highlights: • The beta-ray induced X-ray spectrometry (BIXS) is a gaseous tritium analysis method. • The gas medium dependence in BIXS was considered by Monte Carlo simulations. • The gas medium dependence in BIXS at low pressure was not serious issue. • The counting efficiency was enhanced by argon medium. - Abstract: Tritium beta-ray induced X-ray spectra in various gas mediums were simulated by Monte Carlo simulation using Geant4 tool kit. The simulated beta-ray induced X-ray spectrum (s-BIX spectrum) was composed of the bremsstrahlung component and characteristics X-rays from constituent elements. The total number of photons in s-BIX spectrum decreased with increasing pressure of medium except argon. In argon medium, the characteristics X-ray of argon was generated by beta particles from tritium decay, and the contribution of Ar-Kα and -Kβ compensated the reduction of bremsstrahlung generated by solid matter with increasing argon pressure. At 0.001 atm of medium pressure, the total counts in s-BIX spectrum was independent from gas medium. Therefore, the gas medium dependence in BIXS at low pressure (less than 0.001 atm) was not serious issue.