Shielding Properties of Glass Samples Containing Li2O, K2O, Na2O, PbO and B2O3 by Geant4, XCOM and Experimental Data

Abstract: In the present work, glass samples containing 10Li2O, 10K2O, 20Na2O. xPbO, (60-x)B2O3 (where x = 0-60) were prepared by the melt quenching method. The shielding parameters of the prepared samples were measured experimentally and calculated theoretically. The measurements have been performed at energies of 356.5, 662, 1173 and 1333 keV to obtain the total mass attenuation coefficient (μm), using a gamma spectrometer containing a shielded NaI (TI) detector. The results of mass attenuation coefficient (μm), half-value layers (HVLs), mean free path (MFP), radiation protection efficiency (RPE), atomic and electronic electron cross-sections (σa and σe), effective atomic number (Zeff) and effective electron number (Neff) were calculated at energies from 1 keV to 100 GeV using the Monte Carlo simulation code Geant4 and XCOM. The calculated results were compared with each other and with the experimental values. Good agreement has been observed. Keywords: Shielding properties, Glass, Photon mass attenuation coefficient, Atomic and electronic cross-sections, Effective atomic and electron numbers, XCOM, Geant4.