Investigation of the gamma and neutron radiation properties of strontium bismuth borate glasses doped with neodymium ions using the Geant4 simulation toolkit and EpiXS software

• Published in: Radiation effects and defects in solids Vol. 178; no. 3-4; pp. 485 - 499
• Main Authors: Aladailah, M.W., Marashdeh, M.W., Akhdar, H., Tashlykov, O.L., Walaa, Al-Tamimi, Ghazal, Ayman Abu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 04.03.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Atomic properties; Attenuation coefficients; Bismuth; Boron oxides; Cross-sections; Effectiveness; Electron density; EpiXS software; Gamma rays; Geant4; Glass; glasses; Half-value layer; MAC; Monte Carlo simulation; Neodymium; Photons; Radiation; Radiation protection; Radiation shielding; Simulation; Software; SrO-Nd; Strontium
• ISSN: 1042-0150; 1029-4953
• DOI: 10.1080/10420150.2022.2153250

In this study, the shielding capabilities of glasses made of B 2 O 3 Bi 2 O 3 SrO Nd 2 O 3 have been investigated for use in radiation protection applications. Therefore, to simulate the mass attenuation coefficient for the glass samples A, B, C, D, E, and F, we utilized the Monte Carlo simulation Geant4 code. The findings of the simulated mass attenuation (µ m ) were compared with those that the EpiXS software had theoretically predicted for photon energies between 30 and 2000 KeV. The simulated µ m findings and the EpiXS received data were found to be in good agreement. Based on the simulated µ m , it was possible to determine the linear attenuation coefficients (µ), effective atomic number (Z eff ), effective electron density (N eff ), half-value layer Δ 0.5 , and mean free path (MFP). With an increase in photon energy and a rise in the (mol percent) proportion of Nd 2 O 3 , the µ m value fell. Due to its greater values of the linear attenuation coefficient, effective atomic number, and lower values of Δ 0.5 and MFP, it is discovered that the F glass with 5.7 (mol. percent) concentration of Nd 2 O 3 has superior gamma-ray shielding effectiveness. Additionally, the effectiveness of the chosen glasses in neutron shielding was assessed in this paper. The Monte Carlo simulation Geant4 code was used to determine the effective removal cross-section (cm −1 ). As a result of having the highest effective removal cross-section and the lowest HVL at energy 0.5 MeV, it is determined that the F Glass with a 47.2 (mol. percent) concentration of B 2 O 3 and 5.7 (mol. percent) concentration of Nd 2 O 3 has higher neutron shielding qualities than the other glass samples that were chosen.