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• The efficiency of the CR-39 nuclear track detector –Etched with BSW. • New etching solution is demonstrating as a fast etching solution. • CR-39 polymer track detector have been exposed to alpha-particles. In this study a new etching solution has been used to register alpha particles. The etching characteristics for the detection of alpha particles in CR-39 nuclear track detector using a new etching solution have been investigated. Several important parameters that control the track formation such as, the bulk etch rate, the track etching rate, and the critical angle have been measured. The dependence of etching efficiency and sensitivity upon the volume of 1- Butanol and temperature has been studied. The effect of etching time, the volume of 1-Butanol and the temperature upon the etching parameters have been investigated. Also, the enhancement in the etching efficiency with the decrease in the volume of 1-Butanol is more pronounced. The new etching solution has been demonstrated to be a fast etching solution. Results of irradiation of CR-39 detector with alpha particles and the etching characteristics, along with recording alpha particles tracks in the detector are also addressed and thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ZnS nanoparticles activated with various concentrations of Ag and co-activated with Cl ions were synthesized hydrothermally and sintered under controlled environment at 960 °C. The transition from cubic to hexagonal phase and presence of some fraction of ZnO were detected with powders X-rays diffraction (PXRD) and confirmed by energy dispersive X-rays (EDX) analysis as well. An increase in particle sized from ∼450 nm to ∼700 nm was observed with increase in Ag doping concentration in the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles. The optical band gap was found lower for the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles as compared to the reported optical band gap for ZnS, which can be assigned to defect states. Emission bands peaking at ∼2.68 eV and 2.35 eV were observed due to the characteristics ZnS, and ZnO luminescence, respectively. A significant improvement in the emission intensity by about 2.3 orders of magnitude with increase in Ag doping concentration were observed as compared to pristine ZnS nanoparticles. For the samples having higher concentrations of O atoms the quenching in luminescence intensity were found which can be assigned to the trapping of charge carriers by O defects states. The scintillation light yield enhanced with increase in Ag doping concentration and showed similar quenching behavior as observed for photoluminescence. A faster decay time response with suppression of afterglow were observed for ZnS nanoparticles as compared to commercial micron size ZnS phosphors. • Different phase formation in ZnS nanoparticles and its effect are studied. • The presence of O in ZnS nanoparticles are confirmed. • The luminescence and scintillation light yield enhanced with Ag doping. • For the ZnS nanoparticles faster decay time with low afterglow were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Features of a high-efficiency Radon cell with native scintillator were presented experimentally. In this work, we report the scintillation characteristics of Ag activated ZnS nanoparticle scintillator. Pulse height spectrum (PHS) of 241Am 5.48 MeV α -particles and 60 KeV γ rays has been measured using the prepared scintillator. After the optimization, the cell has been painted with the native scintillator. The cell qualities which include the sensitivity and efficiency are guaranteed for Radon detection. Results of native scintillator fabrication and characterization, along with radon cell calibration and application are also addressed and thoroughly discussed. The cell demonstrating as a scintillation detector for radon gas detection. Highlights • Nanoparticles of ZnS has been activated with Ag and Cl ions. • The prepared material showed fast scintillation decay. • A clear full-energy deposited peak for the standard and prepared samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, pure and transition-metal (silver (Ag)) activated zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles were prepared using a hydrothermal technique. The particles have spherical shape. The average crystallite size value of ZnS:Ag nanoparticles estimated from the XRD patterns is 4.2 nm. Our results also show that the prepared ZnS has a zinc blende structure. An absorption peak at 350 nm was observed from UV–Vis spectrum for 0.05 mol% Ag doped ZnS which is related to the cubic phase of bulk ZnS. A typical Raman peak of ZnS:Ag crystal at around 346 cm−1 is detected. An optimum activating level of Ag for improved photoluminescence (PL) property is found by measuring the fluorescence of samples. The PL spectra of ZnS:Ag nanoparticles showed a new PL band at 473 nm. Results of ZnS:Ag nanoparticles preparation and optimization, along with structural and optical estimation are discussed and addressed thoroughly. A linear relationship between PMT counts and the flounces of alpha particles has been achieved. The detection efficiency of Lucas cell coated with the prepared samples has been determined. Highlights • (Silver (Ag)) activated Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparicles were prepared. • The particles size of undoped ZnS sample is 24 nm. • The PL spectra of ZnS:Ag nanoparticles showed a new PL band at 473 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DAM–ADC scintillator is optically characterized for both alpha particles using 241 Am source and gamma radiation using 1.25 MeV 60 Co. The Radioluminescence (RL) response of DAM–ADC scintillator to alpha particle has been investigated. The DAM–ADC sample was attached to the surface of the 241Am source, and the photons generated from the sample were detected by the PMT. For alpha particles, the integrated PMT counts output of the local system exhibit linear correlation with the irradiation time. In addition to RL detection of alpha particles, the results of exposing DAM–ADC scintillator to gamma rays with high doses has been performed. Linear relationship between Raman spectral peak intensity and gamma dose is investigated. Induced modifications in terms of structural and optical characteristics of the irradiated DAM–ADC scintillators with gamma rays were investigated. In addition to these properties, pulse height spectra (PHS) under 137Cs γ -ray and 241Am (alpha particles and gamma-ray (60 keV) irradiation have been measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoluminescence (PL) and UV–vis spectral analysis of DAM-ADC (diallyl maleate: DAM, polyallyl diglycol carbonate: ADC) nuclear detector are demonstrated for the first time. The DAM-ADC surfaces were exposed to thin 241 Am disk source that emits alpha particles with activity 333 kBq. It is found that the track density of the irradiated samples remarkably influences the PL characteristics of the DAM-ADC detector. The spectral peak heights and the integrated intensities under the peaks exhibit linear correlations with correlation coefficient R 2 =0.9636 and 0.9806, respectively for different alpha particle fluences ranging from 8.16–40.82×10 7 particles/cm 2 . Additionally, a correlation coefficient R 2 =0.9734 was achieved for the UV–vis spectral analysis. The linear fitting functions, along with the corresponding fitting parameters were evaluated in each case. Both the PL and the UV–vis data of the irradiated DAM-ADC samples showed considerable spectral differences, and hence they would be used to offer sensitive approaches for alpha particle detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of CR-39 as a fast alpha particles detector using a new etching condition have been optimized. 241Am source was used for irradiating CR-39 detectors with alpha particles in air at normal pressure and temperature. A chain of experimental work has been carried out using new etchants to register alpha particle in short time. The chemical etching parameters, etching time, temperature and etchant have been investigated. The etching efficiency, the sensitivity and the critical angle were exhibited a clear dependence on the amount of 2- propanol in the etching solution. The optimized chemical condition obtained at this stage of development for CR-39 detectors are (10 ml of 10 N NaOH + 0.5 ml 2- C 3 H 7 OH) etching solutions. Consequently, the suggested new etchant can be developed for neutrons, fission fragments and heavy ions detection. Results of the irradiation of CR-39 detector with alpha particles along with studding the etching characteristics of track detector have been addressed and through discussed. • Alpha particles detection using CR-39 detector. • A New modified etching solution has been adapted. • Registration of alpha particles in short etching time. • A considerable etching efficiency was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has been devoted to investigate the radiation shielding performance of some najran granite samples. In this investigation, experiments are carried out in order to depict the radiation shielding properties of local granites considering the influence from existing some oxide elements. Different types of granite samples were examined and computed for gamma shielding parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half value layer (HVL), tenth value length (TVL), and mean free bath (MFP). The transmission of gamma rays has been measured by using NaI (Tl) detector. The Total atomic and total electronic cross sections for these samples have been investigated. The radiation shielding capabilities of granite samples were experimentally tested at 59.5, 661.6, 1173, and 1332 keV. It is clear that, the granite samples had a considerable attenuating effectiveness at low energies. Furthermore, the experimental LAC values were found to be consistent with those obtained theoretically using the XCOM program. The chemical composition of the samples has been investigated using EDX (energy dispersive spectroscopy). The computed data was compared to the experimental findings. Results of irradiation of granite samples with gamma rays and the attenuation characteristics, along with the chemical analysis of the granite samples are also addressed and thoroughly discussed. • Radiation shielding performance for local granites were investigated. • Attenuation coefficients of the granite shields increase as the Fe content increases. • Gamma shielding of the granite samples is valuable. • The granite samples can be used for storing and transporting NORM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scintillation properties and radiation applications of Cu doped ZnS, which were Prepared from alumina crucibles in the nitrogen atmosphere and activated at 960 °C, have been evaluated. This article deals with the structural, optical, morphological and scintillation properties of Cu doped ZnS nanoparticles. The photoluminescence spectra demonstrate that the intensity of green emission at 524 nm rises with adding Cu ions due to surface states. In ZnS, a blue emission with energy of 2.76 eV is also observed due to the self-activation. A transition from blue-green to the green emission region with increasing the concentration of Cu in the phosphor is obtained. These highly luminescent materials possess the characteristics of an emissive powder to be used for radiation detection application. The scintillation properties of this ZnS-based phosphor material were experimentally tested and compared to other recognized commercial ZnS-based phosphors. The measured sensitivity of the fabricated 600P cell towards radon gas measurements was 0.035 cpm/Bq/m3. • Target scintillator with various activator was developed in-house. • Radon measurements for natural sample was evaluated using the scintillator. • A good agreement between the fabricated cell and the stander cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast detection of alpha particles in the range from 1 to 5 MeV in Makrofol-E polycarbonate nuclear track detectors (PCTDs) using a new chemical etchant was investigated. 252 Cf and 241 Am-thin open sources were used for irradiating Makrofol-E detectors with fission fragments and alpha particles in air at normal pressure and temperature (NPT). A chain of experimental work has been carried out using new etchants to register alpha particle in short time in Makrofol-E polycarbonate detectors. The etching efficiency were exhibited a clear dependence on the amount of methanol in the etching solution and etching time. The optimized chemical condition obtained at this stage of development for 200 μm Makrofol-E detectors are (8 ml of 10 N NaOH + 2 ml CH 3 OH) etching solutions at 60 °C for 3 h. In this study; it is possible to observe energy detection windows for Makrofol-E detectors according to applied etching duration. Makrofol-E introduced the characteristic Bragg peak, which indicates the advantages of this detector as alpha spectrometer. Consequently, the suggested new etchant can be developed for heavy ions detection and monitoring radon levels and its daughters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alpha particle track diameter dependence of the free volume holes size ( V f ) in DAM–ADC and CR-39 nuclear track detectors was investigated using positron annihilation lifetime technique. The effect of temperature on the alpha particle track diameter and free volume were also investigated in the T -range (RT-130 °C). The obtained results revealed that the values of ortho-positronium lifetime τ 3 and V f increases while I 3 slightly increases as T increases for the two detectors. The values of τ 3 , V f and I 3 are higher in CR-39 than DAM–ADC. The interpretation of obtained results is based on the fact that increasing T leads to significant enhancement of thermal expansion of the polymer matrix and consequently V f increases. The track diameter increases as T increases. This can be explained by the fact that the increase in T increases the crystal size and V f in the polymer. A relationship between V f and the alpha particle track diameter was obtained. Moreover results of detector irradiation, along with free volume evaluation are addressed and thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence and UV–Vis spectral evaluation of a poly allyl diglycol carbonate (CR-39) detector coated by poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene) (MEH-PPV) conducting polymer are demonstrated. The CR-39 surfaces were exposed to thin 241 Am disk source that emits alpha particles with activity 333 kBq. Surface modification of the detector by MEH-PPV was acquired by a simple dip coating process. Our findings revealed that the spectroscopic analysis using FTIR is insensitive approach to detect the induced modifications in the irradiated samples. Additionally, the track density of the irradiated samples affects significantly the photoluminescence and UV–Vis responses of the CR-39 samples. The spectral peak heights and the integrated intensities under the peaks exhibit linear correlations (correlation coefficient R 2 = 0.9904 to 0.9968) with the fluence of alpha particles. The linear fitting functions together with the corresponding fitting parameters were evaluated. Both techniques exhibited remarkable spectral differences for the irradiated samples, and hence they could be employed to provide sensitive methods for alpha particle detection. Results of sample fabrication and modification, along with structural and optical evaluation are addressed and thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An irradiation radon chamber with a total volume of 87 l was designed and constructed. This system is based on a natural radon source and a traceable reference radon detector (AB-5 Radon monitor), which allows the radon concentrations inside the chamber to be obtained in different ranges. The radon chamber was used to determine both the calibration factor of the radon detector and the equilibrium factor between radon and its short-lived daughters. In addition, the dependence of the equilibrium factor on the temperature and flow rate was studied. The equilibrium factor was observed to be linearly dependent on the flow rate and its value at 20 °C was found to be 2.2 times higher than the equilibrium factor value at 50 °C. These values are in good agreement with those reported using the surface barrier detector method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the efficiency and sensitivity of active radon cell coated with iodine-activated ZnS was experimentally investigated. The emission and scintillation properties of the scintillator were studied. It has been observed that all the samples showed one photoluminescence (PL) emission peak at 462 nm. The efficiency of the cell has been determined by pylon electronics company, Ottawa, Canada. It is found that, the efficiency of the radon cell is equal to 24.51 ± 0.35%. The nanostructured scintillator synthesis and characterization, as well as the calibration and application of radon cell, were also comprehensively analyzed. The outcome of the present work reveals that the cell might be used for direct radon gas detection. • Optical and Scintillation characteristics of ZnS:I have been studied. • Decay time for the PL emission has been determined • Pulse height spectrum of alpha particles has been investigated • The specific surface application of the prepared materials has been done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For radiation detection applications, Raman analysis, photoluminescence (PL), and UV–Vis spectroscopy are thoroughly studied using the DAM-ADC (diallyl maleate - allyl diglycol carbonate) detector coated with poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) conducting polymer. A thin Am-241 disk that emits alpha particles with an activity of 340 kBq was used to irradiate the surface of DAM-ADC detector. After irradiation with different fluencies of alpha particles, the spectroscopic analysis confirms that the effects of alpha particles on the DAM–ADC detector coated by P3HT conducting polymer are detectable in Raman spectra and PL spectral emission. Furthermore, the photoluminescence and UV–Vis responses of the DAM–ADC samples are influenced by the track density of the irradiated samples. For Raman, UV–vis, and PL analysis, the spectral peak heights and the area under the peaks show a correlation with the fluencies of alpha particles. For the irradiated samples, all the techniques displayed major spectral alterations, suggesting that they could be used to establish sensitive alpha particle detection methods. For both direct and indirect transitions, the optical band gap was found to decrease with increasing the alpha fluencies. • The sensitivity of the DAM–ADC nuclear track detector coated by P3TH. • Raman, PL emission spectra, and UV–Vis spectra displayed good sensitivity. • The effects of alpha particles on the detector are detectable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their high efficiency and speed of use, alpha scintillation cell is being increasingly utilized for detection of radon (222Rn) in soil gas. The calibration factor of the 110 A active radon cell has been addressed and thoroughly discussed. The sensitivity and the efficiency have been determined. It is found that the sensitivity and the registration efficiency of this scintillation cell (110 A active cell) are equal to 0.015895 cpm/Bq/m3, 59%. Respectively. A nuclear system was adapted to measure the accumulation of radon gas using the active scintillation cell. The growth curves of radon activity have been investigated. Radon emanation, leakage and back diffusion rates from natural occurring radioactive materials has been determined. Compatibility between practical measurements and results based on the theoretical equation were achieved. • A system to track the growth of radon gas has been constructed. • A native radon source has been used to calibrate 110 A active radon cell. • The sensitivity of active radon cell have been practically determined. • Considerable agreement between practical measurements and theoretical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized hydrothermally using zinc acetate dihydrate and sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate precursors. The synthesized powders were sintered in air at 600 °C for different durations with a Cl-doping concentration of 25 mg/g. The optimal sintering time was found to be 5 h, resulting in the successful formation of the ZnO phase with small particle sizes of around 90 nm, nominal atomic fractions of Zn and O (~50%, ~50%), and increased luminescence intensity. The ideal concentration of Cl was discovered to be 25 mg/g of ZnO, which resulted in the highest luminescence intensity. The ZnO luminescence characteristics were observed in emission bands peaking at approximately 503 nm attributed to the transition from oxygen vacancies. A considerable improvement in the emission intensity was observed with increased Cl doping concentration, up to eight orders of magnitude, compared to pristine ZnO nanoparticles. However, the luminescence intensity decreased in samples with higher concentrations of Cl doping due to concentration quenching. These preliminary outcomes suggest that Cl-doped ZnO nanoparticles could be used for radiation detector development for radon monitoring and other related applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single crystal of Zn2Te3O8 (ZTO) was grown using the conventional Czochralski technique. TGA analysis showed that the melting point of ZTO is 681 °C, while it exhibits a structural phase transition at 621 °C. The powder X-ray diffraction analysis of ZTO confirmed that it possesses a single crystalline monoclinic structure with the C2/c space group. An indirect band gap of 3.75 eV was estimated for the ZTO crystal based on its absorption spectrum. The X-ray-induced luminescence of the grown crystal comprised a broad band peaking at 565 nm, which can be tentatively assigned to the self-trapped exciton emission from the (Te3O8)4− molecular complexes. The photoluminescence measured under 280 nm excitation showed a broad band luminescence peaking at about 600 nm, and its intensity was significantly enhanced upon cooling the crystal from 300 K to 10 K. The photoluminescence decay time under 280 nm excitation was shown to have two exponential components in the range from 10 K to 175 K, which became a single exponential upon further heating the crystal. Low scintillation light was observed at room temperature both under α- and β-particle excitations from 241Am and 90Sr sources, respectively. The scintillation light yield measured under β-particle excitation from the 90Sr source was enhanced by about five orders of magnitude at 10 K in comparison to that at 300 K. The scintillation light yield measured at 10 K under the same experimental conditions for ZTO in comparison with the well-known cryogenic scintillator Li2MoO4 (LMO) was shown to have four times higher scintillation light. A single-crystal ingot of ZTO was obtained for the first time; however, it had several cracks due to its phase transition. Notably, scintillation at low temperatures for a Te-based crystal was observed for the first time. These preliminary findings are very promising and show that ZTO will be a good candidate for cryogenic phonon scintillation detectors for the 0νββ decay search of 130Te. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continued evolution of three dimensional (3D) object presentation and usage, the security of such objects has become an increasingly desirable research area. Previous efforts mostly concentrated on the encryption of point clouds, solid models, meshes, and 3D textured models. The (texture map) part of meshed 3D objects was overlooked by previous encryption techniques of 3D meshed objects in spite of its importance because they require preprocessing to be extracted. Therefore, this paper provides a system for the full encryption of 3D textured objects with their texture maps. It provides an improved system based on an existing flexible cryptosystem named Flexible cryptosystem based on Cellular Automata (FcCA). The FcCA system has two drawbacks. One drawback is shuffling plain data without changing their values, which yields the same histogram and nonstandard encryption ratios. The other drawback is the need for many generations to make the keyspace very large, which is unsuitable for the large size of textured object data. This work overcomes these drawbacks of FcCA and fully encrypts 3D textured objects with their texture maps. The improvements to FcCA include making intersect start points change with every generation and encrypting the values of plain data while shuffling them using cellular automata. At first, the plain 3D object is extracted to vertices, faces, and texture, in addition to its texture map. After that, extracted data are encrypted using the proposed improved FcCA (iFcCA) cryptosystem. Implementation and analysis of this new system showed its preponderance as it can encrypt and decrypt 3D textured objects better than FcCA and other existing methods. Moreover, it reduces the need for many generations of cellular automata, and consequently, reduces execution time. In addition, iFcCA has a very robust key, and it can resist different types of attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strontium phosphate (SrO–P 2 O 5 –Al 2 O 3 –Gd 2 O 3) glasses with 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mol % CeO 2 were prepared by the conventional melt quenching technique. These glasses' luminescence, scintillation, and physical properties were measured and discussed in detail. The density, refractive index, and oxygen packing density of the studied glasses were increased with an increase in CeO 2 concentration. At lower concentrations of CeO 2 , the characteristic 310 nm emission from Gd3+ and broadband emission from Ce3+ ions were obtained under X-ray excitations. The intensity of both Gd3+ and Ce3+ emission bands under 270 nm Gd3+ excitations reduced with further increase in CeO 2 , showing the delayed energy transfer from Gd3+ to Ce3+ ions. The integrated X-ray-induced luminescence intensity of 0.5% CeO 2 glass was found to be 21% that of reference BGO crystal. For the lower concentration of CeO 2 , a slow decay time along with the fast Ce3+ decay was observed and disappears for higher CeO 2 concentrations. The fast luminescence decay in the range of 22 ns–30 ns was observed for all the PSAG:Ce glasses, which was attributed to the lifetime of the 4f-5d transition of the Ce3+ ions. The faster decay time and reasonable scintillation light suggest the application of these glasses for radiation detector applications. • Strontium phosphate glasses with various concentrations of CeO 2 are fabricated. • The density, refractive index, and OPD increased with CeO 2 concentrations. • Efficient energy transfer from Gd3+ to Ce3+ was confirmed from luminescence. • X-ray-induced scintillation light was found to be 21% that of BGO crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, for the first time, nuclear tracks of α-particles were created on diallyl maleate-allyl diglycol carbonate (DAM-ADC) using molten hydrated barium hydroxide (MBH). We used 17 DAM-ADC plates with dimensions of 1.0 cm × 1.0 cm × 0.1 cm. The bulk etching rate was calculated at various etching temperatures based on changes in the thickness of the DAM-ADC plates. DAM-ADC was irradiated with α-particles to etch at various temperatures for different durations in order to determine the characteristic etching parameters, such as the bulk and track etching rates, etching efficiency of the detector, and critical angle of etching. Photographs of the etched DAM-ADC samples were obtained with a calibrated optical microscope and analyzed with ImageJ software to calculate the track diameters of α-particles. The results demonstrated that MBH is a more efficient and rapid etchant for registering and detecting charged particles with various energies compared with conventional etching solutions (NaOH, KOH, etc.). DAM-ADC with MBH can be used in environmental applications for detecting radon and neutrons. • The DAM-ADC track detector was used to create latent alpha particle tracks. • The detectors were etched at the suitable etching conditions of MBH. • The etching time is 18 min for the registration charged particles. • The DAM-ADC has etching efficiency of 84.34 ± 2.44 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CR-39 track detector was used to create alpha particle tracks using molten hydrated barium hydroxide (MBH). In this experiment, seventeen CR-39 plates with a thickness of 250 μm were used. For determining the bulk etch rate, the rate of the change of track dimeter of fission fragments has been used. The detectors were etched at the suitable etching conditions of MBH, and the track diameters were measured using two suitable image analysis software (Infinity Analyzer and ImageJ). A standard micrometer slit was used to calibrate the images in the field of view of the microscope. The results of this investigation demonstrated that MBH provides significant etching characteristics in addition to shorter etching times and higher etching efficiency for the registration and detection of charged particles of various energies. This work has numerous uses, ranging from plastic nuclear track filters and environmental applications to alpha spectroscopy and neutron detection. Results of sample irradiation, track diameter analysis, sensitivity analysis, and etching efficiency analysis are covered in detail. • The CR-39 track detector was used to create latent alpha particle tracks. • The detectors were etched at the suitable etching conditions of MBH. • Shorter etching times for the registration charged particles. • The critical angle is recorded approximately 10.89 ± 3.436° at 85 °C etching temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The γ-rays shielding performance of ten rock samples are studied. • The EDX analysis were performed for compositional analysis. • The attenuation parameters were calculated theoretically as well. • The shielding performance were found better at low energy γ-rays. Several different rock samples were collected from different regions of Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to evaluate their shielding performance for γ-rays. The elemental analysis of these samples shows that these samples belong to calcite, silicate and ferrite family. These samples have density in the range of 2.50 ∼ 2.74 g/cm3. The radiation shielding performance of these samples were measured using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector under γ-rays irradiation from 137Cs, 241Am, and 60Co sources. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), Half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), atomic cross section (ACS), and electronic cross section (ECS) were calculated experimentally and theoretically. The radiation shielding performance of these local rock samples are comparable with the previously studied rock samples from different regions of the world. This evaluation has shown that these low cost, locally available rocks can be used for low energy γ-rays shielding in different fields and preparation of concrete to be used as shielding material for building construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]