Enhanced gamma-ray shielding capabilities of Bi-Se-Ge chalcogenide glasses: analytical and simulation insights

Abstract This study investigates the gamma-ray shielding properties of Bi-Se-Ge chalcogenide glasses using advanced computational tools. The Phy-X/PSD and FLUKA programs were utilized to determine critical shielding parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient ( G LAC ), mass attenuation coefficient ( G MAC ), half-value layer ( G HVL ), mean free path ( G MFP ), and effective atomic number ( Z eff ). Our findings reveal that these glasses exhibit superior shielding capabilities compared to traditional materials. For instance, the G MAC values for the glasses ranged from 101.472 cm 2 /g to 177.475 cm 2 /g at a photon energy of 0.015 MeV. Additionally, the G HVL values decreased significantly with increasing Bi content, from 4.082 cm to 3.104 cm at an energy level of 15 MeV. The effective atomic number ( Z eff ) also increased from 36.12 to 53.23 with higher Bi concentrations. These insights, derived from precise computational analysis, highlight the potential of Bi-Se-Ge glasses for applications in radiation protection. The discussion also examines the impact of substituting Bi atoms with Se on the shielding capabilities of the original Bi-Se-Ge glass. Future work will focus on experimental validation of these results to further substantiate our findings.