Energy deposition by electron, bremsstrahlung, and 60Co gamma-ray beams in multi-layer media

Abstract

This paper presents illustrative applications of the Monte Carlo code ZTRAN, which treats the penetration and diffusion of electrons and photons in targets consisting of multiple layers of different materials. This program, developed for one-dimensional geometry, is applicable to incident electron beams or photon beams, and takes into account all generations of the resulting electron—photon cascade. The Monte Carlo model is the same as that used previously in the ETRAN code for homogeneous media. The output of the program includes information about transmitted and reflected radiation, the spatial distribution of deposited energy and charge, and the energy spectrum of the radiation flux within the target. Results obtained with ZTRAN are presented for energy deposition in multi-layer targets irradiated with electron beams with energies from 0.4 to 60 MeV, by bremsstrahlung beams with end-point energies from 2 to 10 MeV, and by a 60Co gamma-ray beam. Various comparisons indicate good agreement with experimental results.