Created attachment 410 [details] Description of the error Hi! I found the following error when I use the GetMaterial() method of the G4LogicalVolume class, in the case my material is a mixture of different element (thus, there's no one Z defined): -------- EEEE ------- G4Exception-START -------- EEEE ------- *** G4Exception : mat036 issued by : G4Material::GetZ() the Atomic number is not well defined. *** Fatal Exception *** core dump *** -------- EEEE -------- G4Exception-END --------- EEEE ------- Is it a bug? Why is this method trying to retrieve Z, if materials are allowed to be mixtures of more than one element? I'm using geant4.10.02.p01. Thanks Paola
The G4Exception when calling GetZ() on a mixture material is a normal behavior. But it is surprising that this call is triggered by GetMaterial() method of the G4LogicalVolume class, as this method just returns the material pointer. Before calling GetZ() on a material, you should verify it is not a mixture, for example checking if GetNumberOfElements() of the material is 1. Could you check if your code is calling GetZ() by itself, and provide feed-back on the GetNumberOfElements() usage ? Marc
Hi! My code is not calling GetZ() explicitly, it's just calling G4LogicalVolume::GetMaterial(). I've checked GetNumberOfElements() in the code which defines the material for the first volume used, and the result is 2, as expected (I'm using a mixture of two elements). Paola
I am confused, I don't see how GetZ() could be called by G4LogicalVolume::GetMaterial(). I would suspect the call to GetZ() happens elsewhere, on the material returned by G4LogicalVolume::GetMaterial(). Could you attach your code ? Marc
Created attachment 413 [details] Relevant classes of the code related with the issue
Comment on attachment 413 [details] Relevant classes of the code related with the issue Hi! The code is a bit complicated, I'm attaching the relevant classes, let me know if you need anything else. In MaterialsList.cc the material is defined, with name "GXeAr" at line 140. In NextNewVessel.cc, the material is called for the first time at line 373. In NextNewFieldCage.cc, the material is retrieved at line 238. The main geometry class from which the different parts of the detector are built is NextNew.cc. In particular, NextNewFieldCage is instantiated in NextNewInnerElements.
Thank you for the code. In the MaterialsList class, in method CopyMaterial(...), you have calls to the GetZ() of materials. This call looks to be made for newly created materials, and is not protected. CopyMaterial(...) is called by FakeDielectric(...), itself called by NextNewFieldCage.cc. Is the crash happening in CopyMaterial(...) ?
You're right, it's in the CopyMaterial() method that the method GetZ() is called and causes the crash, I hadn't realized that. I will have to generalize the copy for a mixture. Sorry to bother you with this, and thank for the help!
You're welcome ;) Marc
