Measurement of atomic number and mass attenuation coefficient in magnesium ferrite

Pure magnesium ferrite sample was prepared by standard ceramic technique and characterized by X-ray diffraction method. XRD pattern revealed that the sample possess single-phase cubic spinel structure. The linear attenuation coefficient (mu), mass attenuation coefficient (mu/rho), total atomic cross-section (sigma(tot)), total electronic cross-section (sigma(ele)) and the effective atomic number (Z(eff)) were calculated for pure magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4). The values of gamma-ray mass attenuation coefficient were obtained using a NaI energy selective scintillation counter with radioactive gamma-ray sources having energy 0.36, 0.511, 0.662, 1.17 and 1.28 MeV. The experimentally obtained values of mu/rho and Z(eff) agreed fairly well with those obtained theoretically.