Albedo factors of some boron compounds at 59.54 keV

Highlights: • Albedo factors investigated for boron compounds at scattering angle of 180°. • Backscattering and albedo factors important for radiation dosimetry and shielding. • Calculation of albedo factors does not require additional correction parameters. In this study, the albedo factors (number, energy, and dose) of some boron compounds were investigated at a scattering angle of 180°. Eight boron compounds were tested in the mean atomic number range of 4.571 ≤ $\bar{Z}$ ≤ 19.00. The samples were irradiated by gamma rays emitted at 59.54 keV from an Am-241-point source with an activity of 0.43 MBq. The scattered gamma rays were counted by an ultra-low energy germanium detector with a resolution of 140 eV at 5.9 keV. The results showed that the albedo factors decreased as the mean atomic number increased. The correlations between the albedo factors and mean atomic numbers were also high.