Collision length

The mean free path of a particle before undergoing a nuclear reaction, for a given particle in a given medium. The collision length (also known as the nuclear collision length ) follows from the total nuclear cross-section  by

with  Avogadro's number (6.022 1023/mole) A = atomic weight [g/mole] and  density [g/cm3]. The probability density function for distances between successive collisions is given by

If one subtracts from the total cross-section the sum of elastic and quasi-elastic (diffractive) cross-sections, one obtains by the same formula the (nuclear) interaction length .

Some numerical values for  and  are given in the following table.

| Medium  |  [cm]  |  [g/cm2]  |  [g/cm2]  |

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| Fe  | 10.6  | 83.3  | 131.9  |
| Al  | 26.1  | 70.6  | 106.4  |
| Cu  | 9.6  | 85.6  | 134.9  |
| Pb  | 10.2  | 116.2  | 193.7  |
| Concrete  | 27.0  | 67.4  | 99.9  |
| Scintil.  | 56.6  | 58.4  | 82.0  |

The numbers are from Barnett96 where much more material can be found.

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