Synthesis and Monte Carlo simulation of improved concrete composites as x-ray/gamma ray shielding materials were performed. Samples of shieldings were synthesized using the base materials of Portland-type cement concrete with fillers of alloy steel, Co, Mn, and Cr, mixed separately as additives. The samples were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (SEM-EDS) to determine the constituent elements quantitatively. Linear attenuation coefficients of the samples were measured in the experiments and also simulated using Monte Carlo transport code MCNP5 in order to evaluate their shielding performance. The results of the experimentation and computer simulation reveal concrete with alloy steel added as having the best shielding properties, although concrete with other fillers added also exhibited enhanced shielding performance. It was demonstrated that 6.06 w% of fillers enhanced the x-ray/gamma ray shielding capability of ordinary concrete composites by improving their attenuation coefficient values by 40-60%.
We present a study on pulse shapes of a CdZnTe semiconductor detector for beta particles and gamma-rays emitted by a 137 Cs-90 Sr mixed source. When beta and gamma radiations enter a semiconductor detector, two kinds of pulses are produced according to the type of radiations. The characteristics of the pulses are determined by their energy and depth of interaction. The energy deposited on the detector basically determines the pulse height and the depth of interaction affects the pulse shape. Because of the different characteristics of beta and gamma radiations, their pulse shapes are also different. The digital-analog hybrid signal processing method was applied to separation of the beta spectrum from the beta-gamma mixed one. The separation of beta spectrum was done based on a neural network algorithm, a leading edge area method, and a falling continuum tail value method. However, the perfect separation could not be obtained. The separation was also done by reconstructing the spectra on the basis of subtraction of gamma-ray component. The spectra of beta particles and gamma-rays from 137 Cs-90 Sr mixed source could be separated well by using the reconstruction method.
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