TRANSMISSION OF GAMMA RADIATION THROUGH THIN, FINITE SLABS

The shielding of gamma radiation-at photon energies where the Compton scatter process is dominant- results in a transmitted beam that is largely composed of scattered photons. Since the scattering is performed principally by the electrons of the shielding medium, it is in principle sufficient to know the electron distribution, the differential scattering law, and the absorptive properties of the medium to completely define the transmitted beam. The electron distribution and the absorptive properties of the medium are space-dependent in an often complex way, with abrupt discontinuities at the boundaries separating materials. The dose buildup factor was determined for cobalt-60 and cesium-137.