Re:

["Ron L. Kathren" <rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu>]

Andrea --

Doubtless you have gotten several replies by now, but I will put my two
cents worth in anyway.  The excellent text by Cunningham and Johns -- any
edition -- has the specific equation for calculating effective Z.  The
calculation is a bit messy, but works nonetheless.  As a practical matter,
for wood and rubber, and Plexiglas too, which are largely hydrogen and
carbon, the effective Z will likely be close to that of tissue, perhaps
somewhat less.

Cunninham and Johns also will have a table of absorption coefficients, but
you best bet here would be to refer to the publication by Hubbell of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology.  Specifically you may wish
to check NISTR-5437.

Good luck.

Ron Kathren
Professor Emeritus
Washington State University
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrea Hall <andrea1hall@hotmail.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Monday, January 03, 2000 4:16 PM


>Hi
>My name is Andrea.
>I'd like to know if anyone knows the Z number of Gypsum, rubber
>(specifically recycled tire rubber) and wood (white pine) in order to
>calculate the approximate bremsstrahlung hazard of each material
>(for the formula:   f=3.5*10-3 * Z *Emax).
>
>In addition would anyone be able to tell me the absorption cofficient
>corresponding to the max energy of bremsstrahung for these materials and
>also plexiglas.  I'm trying to calculate the asborbed dose rate for a
>university paper.
>
>If you can help please email  andrea1hall@hotmail.com
>
>thanks
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