Abstract
In order to achieve background count rates sufficiently low as to allow the observation of rare events such as neutrinoless double beta decay, background suppression techniques are routinely employed. In this paper we present details of a novel Pulse Shape Analysis algorithm which allows single-site events such as neutrinoless double beta decay to be distinguished from multi-site background events. The algorithm, which is based on the event by event fitting of experimental signals to a basis data set of unique single site pulse shapes, has been developed through simulation studies and tested experimentally using a Broad Energy Germanium detector. It is found experimentally that the technique is able to successfully identify and reject 99% of multi-site events in the single escape peak associated with the gamma decay of 208Tl, whilst maintaining a survival probability of 98% for 'neutrinoless double beta decay like' double escape peak events.