Radiolysis is a process in which molecules are dissociated due to the absorption of radiation, typically ionizing radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays, or high-energy particles. When these types of radiation interact with matter, they can cause the ionization or excitation of atoms within molecules, leading to the breaking of chemical bonds and the formation of free radicals and other reactive species.
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Chemical damage initiated by ionization and electronic excitation from radiation. It is distinct from direct momentum-transfer knock-on displacement; the useful image information per damaging event depends on beam energy and specimen.