Gamma-Ray Shielding & Buildup Factor

Radiation shielding is usually taught as simple exponential attenuation, I = I₀e^(−μx), but that formula only describes photons that travel in a dead-straight line through the shield. This 2D simulator tracks individual gamma photons as they Compton-scatter or photoelectrically absorb while crossing a slab of lead, concrete or water, and compares what a narrow collimated detector sees against what a broad detector picks up — the gap between them is the buildup factor that real shielding design has to account for. Adjust the material, photon energy and slab thickness in mean free paths and watch the transmission statistics and buildup factor converge live as photons accumulate, right alongside the closed-form Berger buildup-factor formula it was fit against.