Alpha Stopping Power Database for High Z Materials

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the need for a reliable database or software to calculate alpha stopping power for high Z materials, specifically Americium (Am-241) and Uranium (U). Users are attempting to perform manual calculations using the Bethe-Bloche formula in the energy range of 1-10 MeV but are struggling to achieve results that align with existing databases. The conversation highlights discrepancies in the reported density of Americium, with reliable sources indicating a density of approximately 13.67 g/cm3. Geant4 is suggested as a potential tool for performing these calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Bethe-Bloche formula for stopping power calculations
  • Familiarity with high Z materials and their properties
  • Knowledge of alpha particle interactions with matter
  • Experience with Geant4 simulation software
NEXT STEPS
  • Research Geant4 for simulating alpha particle interactions with high Z materials
  • Explore the ASTAR and SRIM databases for stopping power data
  • Investigate the discrepancies in Americium density across various sources
  • Learn about the implications of using Bethe-Bloche for high energy calculations
USEFUL FOR

Researchers, nuclear physicists, and materials scientists interested in alpha particle interactions, particularly those working with high Z materials like Americium and Uranium.

sussybaka
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TL;DR
Looking for a database/calculation software to obtain alpha stopping power in high Z materials, especially americium. All the databases I know of (ASTAR/SRIM) only report up to Uranium and I can't find any measurements in literature. Thanks!
That's about it. I've been trying to do the calculation manually with Bethe-Bloche without corrections in the energy range I'm interested in (1-10 MeV) for the highest Z material with data available for validation (Uranium), but I can't get a result that agree well with the database, so I'm hoping to find a software that has this calculation already done. Thanks for the help!
 
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Americium will be very similar to uranium (in terms of MeV/(g/cm2)). If the difference matters then you probably have so much americium that you have a lot of regulatory problems to solve first.
 
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mfb said:
Americium will be very similar to uranium (in terms of MeV/(g/cm2)).
I concur. I was thinking about this. Let's assume one has Am-241. Z = 95, so the nuclear stopping power is slightly greater, but the density of Am is ~13.67 g/cm3 compared to that for U of 19.6 g/cm3, so the electron density is quite a bit less, so the range could be slightly greater.

A Wikipedia article on Americium has density around 12 g/cm3, which appears to be incorrect given the other more reliable sources. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americium#Physical_properties
rsc.org also has density of 12 g/cm3. Refl: https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/95/americium I wonder if they are reporting the density of AmO2.

CRC's Handbook of Physics and Chemistry, 68th edition, has density of Am as 13.67 g/cm3, which is consistent with some chemical suppliers, e.g., Lenntech, and Jefferson Lab.
https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/am.htm
https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele095.html
 
sussybaka said:
TL;DR Summary: Looking for a database/calculation software to obtain alpha stopping power in high Z materials, especially americium. All the databases I know of (ASTAR/SRIM) only report up to Uranium and I can't find any measurements in literature. Thanks!

That's about it. I've been trying to do the calculation manually with Bethe-Bloche without corrections in the energy range I'm interested in (1-10 MeV) for the highest Z material with data available for validation (Uranium), but I can't get a result that agree well with the database, so I'm hoping to find a software that has this calculation already done. Thanks for the help!
Have you looked at Geant4? I think you can do it using it?
 

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