GaDeTool Geo: A new TENORM gamma ray software with autocalibration

Gamma spectra analysis is a key component for most environmental research programs. The TENORM nuclide evaluation is essential for mapping natural and artificial radioactivity, whether conducted in situ or in laboratory experiments, and the results support a wide range of interdisciplinary investigations. Preparation protocols are well established and straightforward, and hardware tools are increasingly robust and reliable. Numerous versatile software tools are available to complement the experimental inventory, enabling precise data acquisition. However, precision is sometimes debatable due to complicated algorithms, forced correlations, or references to unadapted libraries. To address pivotal environmental requirements and embrace simplicity as an ally, we present GaDeTool Geo, an algorithm and associated software developed for the automatic calibration of spectra, with emphasis on detectors that provide a quasi-linear response to energy. Provided the spectrum includes at least a natural component or background, calibration and analysis proceed in the most minimalist and natural way possible. A variety of customizations are being implemented in the online version, which will soon evolve into an application facilitating in situ analysis. In the meantime, GaDeTool Geo has been tested against commercial software, delivering reliable output by minimizing coincidence, scattering, and, where possible, self-attenuation effects.