The Stripping Method for X‐Ray Spectral Correction in ISO 4037‐1 Narrow Spectra Series ( N10 ‐ N150 )

Spectrometry is an important tool for the characterization of X‐ray beams in ionizing radiation metrology. However, the use of solid‐state spectrometers for accurate measurements requires correction of spectral distortions caused by the interaction between photons and the detector. In this sense, the Stripping methodology was used to correct these distortions and validate the method for the ISO 4037‐1 narrow spectra series, from qualities N10 to N150, measured with an Amptek CdTe spectrometer. This method was implemented in Python 3, and its performance was evaluated quantitatively through the ISO mean energy and spectral resolution requirements, and qualitatively through the spectral shape. Monte Carlo simulations of the pulse‐height distribution were performed for the N120 and N150 spectra using EGSnrc to investigate the influence of the manufacturer's collimator on the measurements. It was observed that the differences between the quantitative parameters of the corrected spectra are within the standard tolerance, except for N120 and N150, for which the shape, mean energy, and spectral resolution are significantly different, with errors of 5% and 9%, and 11% and 22%, respectively. These results suggest that the Stripping method reduces spectral distortion and is therefore suitable for correcting N10–N100 radiation qualities with a CdTe spectrometer. The divergences found for N120 and N150 are therefore related to the manufacturer's collimator, since its thickness does not properly shield these beams. New studies should therefore be conducted to develop an improved design, as suggested by the simulations.