NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory XCOM Photon Cross Sections Database

[skip navigation] National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory

Version History

Example of how to reference this online database:
Berger, M.J., Hubbell, J.H., Seltzer, S.M., Chang, J., Coursey, J.S., Sukumar, R., Zucker, D.S., and Olsen, K. (2010), XCOM: Photon Cross Section Database (version 1.5). [Online] Available: http://physics.nist.gov/xcom [2024, March 28]. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD.
Optional addition:
Originally published as Berger, M.J. and Hubbell, J.H., "XCOM: Photon Cross Sections on a Personal Computer," NBSIR 87-3597, National Bureau of Standards (former name of NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (1987); and as Berger, M.J. and Hubbell, J.H., "NIST X-ray and Gamma-ray Attenuation Coefficients and Cross Sections Database," NIST Standard Reference Database 8, Version 2.0, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (1990).
Citation Form:
Author/editor (Year), Title (edition). [Type of medium] Available: URL [Access date].
Version 1.5
November 2010
The number of significant figures reported was increased from three to four; the 4th significant figure is not intended to indicated accuracy but to aid interpolation. The web version is now based on the downloadable version (3.1) of XCOM. Other minor changes were made.
Version 1.4
February 2009
Inconsistencies in tabular data were corrected.
Version 1.3
August 2005
Improvements were made to the graphing procedure.
Version 1.2
August 1999
XCOM version 3.1 FORTRAN-77 source code and executables made available for downloading.
Version 1.1.3
May 1999
Additional energies limited to 75 to ensure accurate data.
Version 1.1.2
April 1999
Users were advised to use no more than 70 additional energies.
Version 1.1.1
October 1998
Correction made to properly deal with very small components of mixtures.
Version 1.1
July 1998
New user interface, extended graphing capabilities, and text modifications to reflect these changes.
Version 1.0
March 1998
NIST Standard Reference Database 8 (XGAM)
(only the web version is available as of September 28, 1998)
"NIST X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Attenuation Coefficients and Cross Sections Database,"
Distributed by the NIST Standard Reference Data Program
Version 2.0: June 1990
Version 1.0: April 1987
Earlier Publication
July 1987
"XCOM: Photon Cross Sections on a Personal Computer," NBSIR 87-3597,
M.J. Berger and J.H. Hubbell, National Bureau of Standards (former name of NIST), Gaithersburg, MD.


Return to contents