Application of the MCNP 5 code to simulate the shielding features of concrete samples with different aggregates

Abstract

The gamma ray attenuation parameters for three different series of concretes containing different ratios of basalt, magnetite, and bismite mineral aggregates were studied using the Monte Carlo simulation MCNP 5 code. The simulation was performed using a monoenergetic gamma ray source at an energy range from 0.02 MeV to 10 MeV. The simulation agreed with results obtained via XCOM at all energies. The highest mass attenuation coefficient was found in the sample containing 50% bismite aggregate (Bi 50), while the lowest mass attenuation coefficient was found in the 100% basalt aggregate (OD). The results revealed that the concrete samples with bismite and mixed magnetite-bismite mineral aggregates had lower half value layers than the concrete samples with magnetite and basalt aggregates. The concrete encoded OD had the highest half value layer values, varying from 0.01 to 13.75 cm, while the Bi 50 concrete sample had the lowest HVT, varying from 0.004 to 6.15 cm at the investigated energies. The effective atomic numbers of the concrete samples were also evaluated. The effective atomic number values increased as the magnetite ratios in the magnetite and mixed magnetite-bismite concrete samples increased and decreased as the bismite ratios decreased.