Attenuation coefficient for Agarwood and shade tree sections at 59.6keV and 356keV

Abstract

Gamma ray measurements were carried out on wood sections of agarwood and shade trees to obtain its mass attenuation coefficients. Diameter of the blocks of agarwood (Aquilaria Malaccensis) is 17.0cm and shade tree (Khaya Senegalensis) sections are 24.0cm (branch) and 37.2cm (trunk). The radiation transmission measurement setup used a 0.5” x 0.5” thallium-activated sodium iodide detector, scaler ratemeter Ludlum model 2200 and collimated radioactive sources 3.5GBq Am-241 and 0.05GBq Ba-133 for the attenuation measurements. The dry density of agarwood trunk was 0.40±0.01 gcm−3. For the shade tree, the dry densities were 0.52±0.02 gcm−3 (branch) and 0.49±0.01 gcm−3 (trunk). At 59.6keV, the mass attenuation coefficient for the agarwood at diameter is 0.114±0.007 cm2g−1, and for shade tree (branch) is 0.136±0.004 cm2g−1 and 0.120±0.004 cm2g−1 shade tree (trunk). At 356keV, the mass attenuation coefficient for the agarwood at diameter is 0.081±0.003 cm2g−1, and for shade tree (branch) is 0.086±0.004 cm2g−1 and 0.068±0.028 cm2g−1 shade tree (trunk).