Radiation energetic enough to ionize matter. Its biological effects can include direct molecular damage and indirect chemical changes, with consequences depending on dose, timing and cellular context.
Control of exposure to ionizing radiation. Basic physical measures include reducing time near a source, increasing distance and using radiation shielding; confinement of radioactive material addresses contamination.
Measurement or calculation of energy imparted by ionizing radiation, together with explicitly specified weighting conventions. Absorbed dose, equivalent dose and effective dose are different quantities.
The reference radiation dose divided by the test radiation dose giving the same specified biological endpoint. It depends on radiation quality, tissue, endpoint and dose, rather than being an immutable particle constant.
A radiation weighting factor weighted sum of mean absorbed doses for a specified organ or tissue. Its unit is the sievert.
A dimensionless factor used to convert a specified radiation component's absorbed dose into its contribution to equivalent dose.
A dosimetric condition in which the charged-particle energy entering a small region balances the corresponding energy leaving it. Under appropriate equilibrium conditions, photon collision kerma equals absorbed dose. It can fail near material boundaries or in the buildup region of a high-energy photon beam.
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Ionizing radiation refers to radiation that carries enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, creating ions. This process can lead to changes in the atomic structure of materials, which is why ionizing radiation can be harmful to living organisms and matter. There are several types of ionizing radiation, including: 1. **Alpha Particles**: Helium nuclei emitted from certain radioactive materials. They consist of two protons and two neutrons and are relatively heavy and positively charged.
