Gamma radiation shielding parameters of Bismuth Germanate glasses with different densities using PHITS Monte Carlo code
Abstract
In this work, mass attenuation coefficient, effective atomic number, effective electron density, the mean free path, and buildup factor of Bismuth germanate glasses with different densities have been calculated using the PHITS MC code and the XCOM program in the energy region from 1.5 keV to 15 MeV. In the calculations, a mathematical expression determining the sample thickness depending on the incident photon energy (for E≤ 1.25 MeV) was derived by considering the optimization criterion. For E> 1.25 MeV, it was observed that the thickness value could be between 4 and 10 cm and did not affect the determination of the MAC. The MAC from MC and XCOM were in good agreement with each other. It was found to be around 0.044 cm2/g above 1 MeV, while HVL was found to be 2.2 cm. At the absorption edge of Bismuth, the results obtained also show that the buildup factor increases with the increasing density of the bismuth germanate.
Keywords
Shielding Parameters, Bismuth Germanate, Mass attenuation coefficient, Buildup factors, Monte Carlo