Title: Photon interaction parameters of some spin ice compound materials
Authors: Vishwanath P. Singh; N.M. Badiger
Addresses: Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580003, Karnatak, India; Health Physics Section, Kaiga Atomic Power Station-3&4, NPCIL, Karwar 581400, Karnatak, India. ' Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580003, Karnatak, India
Abstract: Spin ice compounds (SICs) are the frustrated magnetic materials which are used in nuclear reactor control system and semiconductor electronic circuits. Photon interaction parameters such as the effective atomic number, Zeff, and the effective electron density, Neff, for SICs such as Dy2Ti2O7, Dy2Sn2O7, Ho2Ti2O7 and Ho2Sn2O7 have been computed at photon energies from 10 keV to 100 GeV. The Zeff of the spin ice compounds is approximately constant in energy range 0.3–4 MeV where Compton scattering is the main photon interaction process. The Zeff increases sharply below 0.3 MeV due to photoelectric absorption process and above 3 MeV due to pair-production process. The well type structures of Zeff and Neff for HSO and DSO have been observed in the photon energy range 30-60 keV due to involvement of k-shell electron in the interaction. Dy2Sn2O7 and Ho2Sn2O7 are suitable materials for gamma shielding.
Keywords: spin ice compounds; frustrated magnets; magnetic monopoles; spin-spin; magnetic Coulomb force; photo-absorption; control rods; effective atomic number; electron density; photon interaction; nuclear reactor control; nuclear energy; nuclear power; semiconductor electronic circuits; gamma shielding.
DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2012.046985
International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2012 Vol.7 No.1, pp.57 - 74
Received: 20 Feb 2012
Accepted: 24 Feb 2012
Published online: 05 Dec 2014 *