In: Physics
What are the characteristics of an ideal radiation shield?
Following are the characteristics of an ideal radiation shield.
1) They are usually made of materials having higher density. This helps in preventing or reducing the radiation passing through it.
2) They should be stable in the presence of a particular type of radiation. Some materials become unstable in the presence of radiation causing the shielding material itself becoming radioactive and hence more dangerous than when it was not present. eg. Using material of high neutron activation cross section for neutron shielding.
3) Radiation shielding generally increases with increasing atomic number. This typically increases the nuclear stability upto a particular value. Further increase in atomic number reduce the nuclear stability.
4) Presence of neutron absorbers or moderators is ideal for neutron shielding.
5) Increasing the thickness increases the effectiveness of shielding. this is because the intensity of the radiation that manages to pass through the material falls exponentially with thickness of the shield.
Note that the characteristics of an ideal radiation shield ultimately depend on the nature of radiation we are shielding for.