Xenon-neon gas proportional-scintillation counters for X-rays below 2 keV: a Monte Carlo simulation study

The energy spectra of X-rays with energies below 2 keV measured at atmospheric pressure with standard Xe gas detectors, such as gas proportional-scintillation counters, exhibit distortions that are related to losses of electrons and fluorescence photons to the radiation window. In this paper, a Monte Carlo simulation method that takes into account these losses investigates the use of Xe-Ne mixtures as detection media in this energy range. For a total pressure of 1 atm, energy spectra were calculated for nine mixtures with Xe concentrations varying from 10% to 100%. The results have shown that the addition of Ne to Xe significantly reduces distortion and improves the energy resolution of the full energy peaks.