Factors Affecting Gamma Ray Transmission

Abstract

Gamma ray transmission and the parameters which affect this process; attenuation coefficients, cross-sections, effective atomic numbers and electron densities, were studied for brass, Fe, Al, PVC and Perspex, using gamma spectroscopy. The comparison between experimental and theoretical values is made; these are found to be in good agreement. The inverse relations between energy and attenuation coefficients, as well as cross-sections were emphasized. In the energy range (661.6 keV-1332.5 keV), the effective atomic numbers showed a constant behavior with energy. Brass shows up as a good attenuating material, while other samples are relatively weak attenuators. The effect of the composition of the compound appears obviously in this study.

Keywords: Attenuation coefficients (linear and mass); Cross-sections; Effective atomic number; Electron density.