Experimental measurement of effective atomic number of composite materials for compton effect in the gamma-ray region 280-1115 keV by a new method

In this paper, we report a new method to determine the effective atomic number, Z (eff), of composite materials for Compton effect in the gamma-ray region 280-1115 keV based on the theoretically obtained Klein-Nishina scattering cross-sections in the angular range 50A degrees-100A degrees as well as a method to experimentally measure differential incoherent (Compton) scattering cross-sections in this angular range. The method was employed to evaluate Z (eff) for different inorganic compounds containing elements in the range Z = 1-56, at three scattering angles 60A degrees, 80A degrees and 100A degrees at three incident gamma energies 279.1 keV, 661.6 keV and 1115.5 keV and we have verified this method to be an appropriate method. Interestingly, the Z (eff) values so obtained for the inorganic compounds were found to be equal to the total number of electrons present in the sample as given by the atomic number of the elements constituting the sample in accordance with the chemical formula of the sample. This was the case at all the three energies