Numerical estimation on free electrons generated by shielded radioactive materials under various gaseous environments

Abstract

We report simulation results on generation of free electrons due to the presence of radioactive materials under controlled pressure and gases using a general Monte Carlo transport code (MCNPX). A radioactive material decays to lower atomic number, simultaneously producing high energy gamma rays that can generate free electrons via various scattering mechanisms. This paper shows detailed simulation works for answering how many free electrons can be generated under the existence of shielded radioactive materials as a function of pressure and types of gases.