Gamma attenuation and buildup factors of GeO2-Ga2O3-Gd2O3 2-Ga 2 O 3-Gd 2 O 3 transparent glass ceramics for shielding applications

While gamma radiation presents significant hazards, the development of reliable shielding materials is demanded. This research study aims to investigate the gamma attenuation and buildup factors of transparent glass ceramics with the composition described by the formula of 99 [60GeO2 2 + (40-y)Ga2O3 2 O 3 + yGd2O3] 2 O 3 ] +1Nd 2 O 3 , with y = 13,15,17, and 19 mol%. The basic gamma attenuation factor, namely mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), is calculated theoretically by using WinXCOM. By using MAC values, obtained by WinXCOM, we estimated the other gamma attenuation factors such as effective atomic number (Zeff) eff ) and electron density (Neff). eff ). Moreover, the absorption parameters, such as mass energy-absorption coefficient (MEAC), and buildup factors are also evaluated. It is found that the highest Z eff values are observed at 0.015 MeV with the values of 37.648, 38.618, 39.577, and 40.528 for GN1, GN2, GN3, and GN4 respectively. Moreover, the Gd2O3 2 O 3 content has a significant effect to improve the attenuation capacity of the studied samples.