The x-ray absorption coefficients for a borosilicate glass.

Abstract

In work with x-rays it is sometimes desirable to be able to calculate the attenuation of the beam during its passage through a glass wall. Such cases arise, for example, in transmission through the envelope of an x-ray tube or during the irradiation of liquids in sealed glass containers. Due to unfavorable geometry exact calculations cannot always be made, but an estimate can be reached when the absorption coefficients of the material are known. Some rather limited experimental data of this kind have been published for soda lime, Ba, and K-Pb glasses (1) but nothing appears to be available for those in the borosilicate group. The coefficients for one common glass2 of this type, which has the composition given in Table I (2), are derived here by computation. If similar data are required for other glasses they may be readily obtained by the same method provided the composition is known. The reliability of the results should compare favorably with that of good experimental data. The coefficients were compute...