Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
3,913,866,261 visitors served.
forum Join the Word of the Day Mailing List For webmasters
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

nuclear radiation

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
nuclear radiation [′nü·klē·ər ‚rād·ē′ā·shən]
(nuclear physics)
A term used to denote alpha particles, neutrons, electrons, photons, and other particles which emanate from the atomic nucleus as a result of radioactive decay and nuclear reactions.

Nuclear radiation

All particles and radiations emanating from an atomic nucleus due to radioactive decay and nuclear reactions. Thus the criterion for nuclear radiations is that a nuclear process is involved in their production. The term was originally used to denote the ionizing radiations observed from naturally occurring radioactive materials. These radiations were alpha rays (energetic helium nuclei), beta rays (negative electrons), and gamma rays (electromagnetic radiation with wavelength much shorter than visible light). See Alpha particles, Beta particles, Gamma rays

Nuclear radiations have traditionally been considered to be of three types based on the manner in which they interact with matter as they pass through it. These are the charged heavy particles with masses comparable to that of the nuclear mass (for example, protons, alpha particles, and heavier nuclei), electrons (both negatively and positively charged), and electromagnetic radiation. For all of these, the interactions with matter are considered to be primarily electromagnetic. The behavior of mesons and other particles is intermediate between that of the electron and heavy charged particles.

A striking difference in the absorption of the three types of radiations is that only heavy charged particles have a range. That is, a monoenergetic beam of heavy charged particles, in passing through a certain amount of matter, will lose energy without changing the number of particles in the beam. Ultimately, they will be stopped after crossing practically the same thickness of absorber. For electromagnetic radiation (gamma rays) and neutrons, on the other hand, the absorption is exponential. The difference in behavior reflects the fact that charged particles are not removed from the beam by individual interactions, whereas gamma radiation photons (and neutrons) are removed. Electrons exhibit a more complex behavior. See Electron, Nuclear reaction



Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Feedback
Mentioned in?  References in periodicals archive?   Encyclopedia browser?   Full browser?
No references found
 
Addressing a news conference at the Quetta Press Club here on Friday, Sardar Jalil Sargalzai, district president BNP (Awami) Kharan unit and Muhammad Hyat Domki press secretary Kharan unit contended that in past, the government had announced compensation of millions of rupees for farmers affected by Chagai atomic blast as nuclear radiation had damaged their crops and soil.
9781558999855 Nuclear radiation detection materials; proceedings.
John Taylor claims he was treated like a guinea pig during the 1950s when he was exposed to nuclear radiation during atom bomb tests in Australia.
 
 
Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate
Nuclear Propulsion Package
Nuclear Propulsion Plant
Nuclear Propulsion Training Unit
Nuclear protein
Nuclear protein
Nuclear Protein Database
Nuclear Protein Factor Type 1
Nuclear Protein Kinase C
Nuclear Protein Tyrosine Kinase
Nuclear proteins
Nuclear proteins
Nuclear Prototype Training Unit
nuclear proximity-surface burst
Nuclear pumped laser
Nuclear quadrapole resonance
Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling Constant
Nuclear Quadrupole Interaction
Nuclear Quadrupole Moment
Nuclear Quadrupole Moment
Nuclear quadrupole resonance
Nuclear quadrupole resonance
Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance NQR
Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance-Detection of Land Mines and Explosives
Nuclear Quality Assurance
Nuclear Quality Assurance Agency
Nuclear Quality Assurance Program Office
Nuclear Quality Assurance, Level 1
nuclear radiation
Nuclear Radiation Detectors
Nuclear Radiation Shielding Series
nuclear radiation spectroscopy
Nuclear Radiation Unit
nuclear radiology
nuclear radius
nuclear reaction
nuclear reaction
Nuclear reaction analysis
Nuclear Reaction Data File for Astrophysics
nuclear reaction spectrometry
Nuclear reactions
Nuclear reactions
nuclear reactor
nuclear reactor
nuclear reactor
nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor core
Nuclear reactor core
Nuclear Reactor Fuel Supply
Nuclear Reactor Operator Basic Badge
Nuclear Reactor Operator, Basic Badge
Nuclear Reactor Operator, First Class Badge
Nuclear Reactor Operator, Second Class Badge
Nuclear Reactor Operator, Shift Supervisor Badge
Nuclear Reactor Plant
Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Nuclear Reactor Robot
Nuclear Reactor System Safety Group
Nuclear reactor technology
 
Encyclopedia
?

Terms of Use | Privacy policy | Feedback | Advertise with Us | Copyright © 2012 Farlex, Inc.
Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.