Annihilation radiation such as Germanium detectors, than with low resolution detectors such as Sodium iodide detectors. Because of their well-defined energy (511 keV) and characteristic, Doppler-broadened shape, annihilation radiation can often be useful in defining the energy calibration of a gamma ray spectrum. Annihilation radiation Annihilation radiation is a term used in Gamma spectroscopy for the gamma radiation produced when a particle and its antiparticle collide and annihilate. Most commonly, this refers to 511-keV gamma rays produced by a normal (negative) electron colliding with a positron. Annihilation radiation is not monoenergetic, unlike gamma rays produced by radioactive decay. The production mechanism of
Lazarus effect therefore inactive. Trapping of electrons and holes generated by particles traversing the detector is then prevented and little or no signal is lost. The understanding of this has been detailed in a number of papers. Thanks to the Lazarus effect, silicon detectors have been proven to be able survive radiation doses in excess of 90 GRad and they have been proposed for future high luminosity experiments. Lazarus effect The Lazarus effect refers to semiconductor detectors; when these are used in harsh radiation environments, defects begin to appear in the semiconductor crystal lattice as atoms become displaced because of the interaction