Refining the Effective Atomic Number of Copper Compounds: A High-Precision Analysis via Rayleigh-to-Compton Scattering Intensity Ratios

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the effective atomic numbers ( ) and electron densities ( ) of various copper compounds using the Rayleigh-to-Compton ( ) scattering ratio method. Measurements were performed using a high-resolution HPGe detector and a ²⁴¹  radioisotope source emitting 59.54 keV gamma rays. The experimental  ratios were utilized to derive  values, which were then compared with theoretical data obtained via WinXCOM. A significant correlation was observed between the chemical environment of the copper compounds and their scattering intensities. One of the main conclusions that can be drawn from the experimental results is how accurately the effective atomic number is determined using data obtained from coherent and Compton scattering. As proof of this, it is clearly seen that the Compton and coherent scattering data obtained from the copper sulfate and copper iodide samples examined during the experiment are highly sensitive to the effective atomic number of the sample used and have a significant effect on spectral analyses. In the experimental results, which also proved this situation experimentally, it is clearly seen that Compton scattering is dominant in samples with low effective atomic numbers, and conversely, coherent scattering becomes dominant in environments with high effective atomic numbers. Thus, our study, with its meaningful results obtained from theoretical calculations and experimental data, has proven that the effective atomic number can be determined in complex chemical structures using the R/C ratio, as we used in our experiments.