Importance of photo atomic cross section for studying physical properties of different types of soil

Medhat, M.E.; Pires, Luiz F.

doi:10.1002/xrs.2689

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…This property is closely related to the soil composition and the contribution of its fractions (Hillel, 2004;Lal and Shukla, 2004). The wide distribution of textures and particle densities analyzed highlights the importance of different particle sizes for radiation attenuation (Medhat and Pires, 2016;Ferreira et al, 2018). According to the USDA classification system, the sand fraction contains particles ranging in diameter from 2,000 to 50 μm, the silt fraction from 50 to 2 μm, and the clay fraction consists of <2 μm particles (Hillel, 2004).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Radiation interaction properties such as mass attenuation coefficient (μ), atomic (σ a ) and electronic (σ e ) cross-sections, effective atomic number (Z eff ), and electron density (N el ) can be determined when the composition and density of the materials are known (Han and Demir, 2009;Medhat and Pires, 2016;Ferreira et al, 2018). Many types of analyses can be conducted based on these parameters and XRF measurements, such as variations of the interaction parameters with photon energy or the contribution of processes such as the photoelectric effect, coherent and incoherent scatterings, and pair production to the mass attenuation coefficient (Camargo et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A novel approach based on X-ray fluorescence and photon attenuation to the analysis of soils for forensic investigation

Pires¹,

Prandel²,

Saab³

et al. 2022

Revista Brasileira De Ciência Do Solo

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel approach based on X-ray fluorescence and photon attenuation to the analysis of soils for forensic investigation

Pires¹,

Prandel²,

Saab³

et al. 2022

Revista Brasileira De Ciência Do Solo

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“…In this energy band, the incoherent scattering is the dominant effect of the radiation attenuation. For the high energy region (>10 MeV), μ/ρ presented a slight increase influenced by the pair production, whose cross-section shows dependency with Z 2 [ 38 , 39 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the Effect of Aggregate Sizes on the Soil Radiation Interaction Properties Based on X-ray Fluorescence

Tech

Pires

2022

IJERPH

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Soils subjected to disaggregation can break into aggregates of different sizes composed of sand, clay, and silt particles. Each aggregate contains different oxides, which can vary according to the aggregate size and influence its properties, such as the radiation interaction parameters. These parameters are relevant in the evaluation of radiation shielding and soil physical properties. Thirteen tropical/subtropical soils of contrasting textures (clayey and loamy/sandy) with two aggregate sizes (2–1 mm and <45 μm) were studied. The radiation parameters analyzed were the atomic (σA), electronic (σE), and molecular (σM) cross-sections; the effective atomic number (Zeff); and the electron density (Nel). We verified that the aggregate sizes affected the major oxides (SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3). In general, the attenuation coefficient and Zeff were sensitive to the clayey soils’ aggregate sizes (low photon energies). However, the loamy/sandy soils did not exhibit differences among the parameters. As the photon energy increased, only Zeff presented differences for most soils. We also verified that σM, Zeff, and Nel were the most sensitive parameters to the soil composition. Although the soil chemical composition was influenced by the studied aggregate sizes, the radiation parameters exhibited differences for only some of these parameters. This means that the aggregate size is practically irrelevant when radiation parameters are determined based on X-ray fluorescence.

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“…Elements of high atomic number such as Fe 2 O 3 and TiO 2 greatly influenced the attenuation of low photon energies (Camargo et al, 2021). Following the same idea, Medhat and Pires (2016) published another study with a detailed analysis of the photon atomic cross-section (σ a ) of soils of different types. The development of a tool to classify soils with distinct textures based on the photon atomic cross-section (Equation 16) was proposed (Figure 4).…”

Section: Gamma-ray Attenuation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of nuclear techniques in soil science: A literature review of the Brazilian contribution

Pires¹,

Cássaro²,

Correchel³

2021

Revista Brasileira De Ciência Do Solo

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This review presents the basic research and some applications of the gamma-ray attenuation, neutron gauges, and 137 Cs fallout techniques for studying soil physical processes and properties. The selected studies aimed to give the readers a general idea of the use of these nuclear techniques carried out by Brazilian researchers in the past decades. It is expected to assist future researchers by identifying knowledge gaps and opportunities for applying the methods presented here. Around 100 studies were selected for this review. The papers dealing with gamma-ray attenuation are mostly related to the analysis of soil radiation interactions, the measurement of basic soil physical properties, the evaluation of hydraulic conductivity, water retention curve, and soil mechanical analysis. Neutron gauge applications are related to monitoring the water distribution and balance at the field scale, procedures for calibrating the existing gauge for the Brazilian soils, and analyzing the spatial and temporal variability of the soil water content. The 137 Cs methodology involves studies about the erosion and sediment deposition in small watersheds and riparian zones, the spatial variability of 137 Cs inventories at reference sites, and the measurement of sediment spatial distributions. Future studies with the gamma-ray attenuation methodology should focus on a better comprehension of the photon interaction with the soil and a correct selection of photon energies to investigate contrasting soils. This is mandatory for adopting it as a reliable tool for soil characterization. This review also revealed that the challenges for the future use of the 137 Cs fallout technique involve the continuous decrease of the 137 Cs activity worldwide, including in Brazil. Advances in detection systems (gamma spectrometers) will be required to overcome this issue. Future studies should focus on the use of correction factors related to the enrichment of fine particles during the transport of sediments to improve the estimates obtained through the conversion models. The use of neutron gauges to detect soil water content at the field scale depends on the adoption of reliable calibration curves. Then, comprehending how soil properties alter this curve and how it affects the water balance is a study of great interest. Motivated by strict regulations on the use of radioactive materials, the adoption of gauges with less activity is becoming a new goal. Thus, the development of more effective systems of neutron detection is crucial.

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Importance of photo atomic cross section for studying physical properties of different types of soil

Cited by 7 publications

References 5 publications

A novel approach based on X-ray fluorescence and photon attenuation to the analysis of soils for forensic investigation

A novel approach based on X-ray fluorescence and photon attenuation to the analysis of soils for forensic investigation

Insights into the Effect of Aggregate Sizes on the Soil Radiation Interaction Properties Based on X-ray Fluorescence

Use of nuclear techniques in soil science: A literature review of the Brazilian contribution

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