Thermophysical properties of rubidium and lithium halides by $\gamma$-ray attenuation technique

The temperature dependence of linear attenuation coefficient, density and thermal expansion of rubidium halides $(\text{RbCl}$, $\text{RbBr}$ and $\text{RbI})$ and lithium halides $(\text{LiCl}$, $\text{LiBr}$ and $\text{LiF})$ has been studied by $\gamma$-ray attenuation technique. The $\gamma$-ray attenuation studies have been carried out using a $\gamma$-ray densitometer. The mass attenuation coefficients $(\mu_m)$ of rubidium and lithium halides have been determined using $\gamma$-beam of different energies viz. $(0.0595$, $0.662$, $1.173$ and $1.332$ MeV$)$ respectively. The variation of density and coefficients of temperature dependence of density have been measured using $\text{Cs}$ $(0.662$ MeV$)$ source. The values of density at different temperatures have been used to estimate the values of linear attenuation coefficients $(\mu_l)$ of the alkali halides studied in the present work for other $\gamma$-energies. The variation of thermal expansion of alkali halides studied in the present work has been compared with the results obtained from other methods. The variation in these thermophysical properties have been represented by linear equations. Volume thermal expansion coefficients and mass attenuation coefficients $(\mu_m)$ of these compounds for the different energies have been reported and compared with data calculated by empirical and experimental method.