Nuclear Radiation Interactions

This book is a treatment on the foundational knowledge of Nuclear Science and Engineering. It is an outgrowth of a first-year graduate-level course which the author has taught over the years in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT. The emphasis of the book is on concepts in nuclear science and engineering in contrast to the traditional nuclear physics in a nuclear engineering curriculum. The essential difference lies in the importance we give to the understanding of nuclear radiation and their interactions with matter. We see our students as nuclear engineers who work with all kinds of nuclear devices, from fission and fusion reactors to accelerators and detection systems. In all these complex systems nuclear radiation play a central role. In generating nuclear radiation and using them for beneficial purposes, scientists and engineers must understand the properties of the radiation and how they interact with their surroundings. It is through the control of radiation interactions that we can develop new devices or optimize existing ones to make them more safe, powerful, durable, or economical. This is why radiation interaction is the essence of this book.

Mechanics is the science of studying energy and forces, and their effects on matter. It involves mechanisms, kinematics, cross sections, and transport. Radiation mechanism describes how various types of radiation interact with different targets (atoms and nuclei). The book addresses the above four aspects of radiation mechanics integrating these aspects of radiation behavior in a single treatise under the framework of “radiation mechanics". Covers all aspects of radiation mechanics Helps non-nuclear graduates readily familiarize themselves with radiation Integrates and coordinates mechanisms, kinematics, cross sections and transport in one volume End of each chapter problems to further assist students in understanding the underlying concepts Use of computations and Internet resources included in the problems

Interaction of Radiation with Matter focuses on the physics of the interactions of ionizing radiation in living matter and the Monte Carlo simulation of radiation tracks. Clearly progressing from an elementary level to the state of the art, the text explores the classical physics of track description as well as modern aspects based on condensed mat

The fourth edition of this book has been widely revised. It includes additional chapters and some sections are complemented with either new ones or an extension of their content. In this latest edition a complete treatment of the physics and properties of semiconductors is presented, covering transport phenomena in semiconductors, scattering mechanisms, radiation effects and displacement damages. Furthermore, this edition presents a comprehensive treatment of the Coulomb scattering on screened nuclear potentials resulting from electrons, protons, light- and heavy-ions — ranging from (very) low up to ultra-relativistic kinetic energies — and allowing one to derive the corresponding NIEL (non-ionizing energy-loss) doses deposited in any material. The contents are organized into two parts: Chapters 1 to 7 cover Particle Interactions and Displacement Damage while the remaining chapters focus on Radiation Environments and Particle Detection. This book can serve as reference for graduate students and final-year undergraduates and also as supplement for courses in particle, astroparticle, space physics and instrumentation. A section of the book is directed toward courses in medical physics. Researchers in experimental particle physics at low, medium, and high energy who are dealing with instrumentation will also find the book useful. Contents:Particle Interactions and Displacement Damage:IntroductionElectromagnetic Interaction of Charged Particles in MatterPhoton Interaction and Electromagnetic Cascades in MatterNuclear Interactions in MatterPhysics and Properties of Silicon SemiconductorTransport Phenomena in SemiconductorsRadiation Effects and Displacement Damage in SemiconductorsRadiation Environments and Particle Detection:Radiation Environments and Damage in SemiconductorsScintillating Media and Scintillator DetectorsSolid State DetectorsDisplacement Damages and Interactions in Semiconductor DevicesGas Filled ChambersPrinciples of Particle Energy DeterminationSuperheated Droplet (Bubble) Detectors and CDM SearchMedical Physics ApplicationsAppendices:General Properties and ConstantsMathematics and Statistics Readership: Researchers, academics, graduate students and professionals in accelerator, particle, astroparticle, space, applied and medical physics. Key Features:Exceptional large coverage of the different types of detectors used in particle and nuclear physics and their principles of detectionKeywords:Radiation Interaction in Matter;Solid State Detectors;Scintillator Detectors;Gas Filled Chamber Detectors;Energy Determination;Dark Matter;Double Beta Decay;Processes of Energy Deposition;Radiation Damages;Medical Physics Applications "The fourth edition has been extensively revised and offers additional chapters. It presents a comprehensive treatment of the Coulomb scattering on screened nuclear potentials resulting from electrons, positrons, protons, light- and heavy-ions and allowing one to derive the corresponding NIEL doses deposited in any material and compound, because of atomic displacements caused by the interaction." Professor Karel Kudela Institute of Experimental Physics

The complexity and vulnerability of the human body has driven the development of a diverse range of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques in modern medicine. The Nuclear Medicine procedures of Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Radionuclide Therapy are well-established in clinical practice and are founded upon the principles of radiation physics. This book will offer an insight into the physics of nuclear medicine by explaining the principles of radioactivity, how radionuclides are produced and administered as radiopharmaceuticals to the body and how radiation can be detected and used to produce images for diagnosis. The treatment of diseases such as thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism and lymphoma by radionuclide therapy will also be explored.

Physics of Nuclear Radiations: Concepts, Techniques and Applications makes the physics of nuclear radiations accessible to students with a basic background in physics and mathematics. Rather than convince students one way or the other about the hazards of nuclear radiations, the text empowers them with tools to calculate and assess nuclear radiations and their impact. It discusses the meaning behind mathematical formulae as well as the areas in which the equations can be applied. After reviewing the physics preliminaries, the author addresses the growth and decay of nuclear radiations, the stability of nuclei or particles against radioactive transformations, and the behavior of heavy charged particles, electrons, photons, and neutrons. He then presents the nomenclature and physics reasoning of dosimetry, covers typical nuclear facilities (such as medical x-ray machines and particle accelerators), and describes the physics principles of diverse detectors. The book also discusses methods for measuring energy and time spectroscopies before concluding with applications in agriculture, medicine, industry, and art.

Intended for graduate-level introductory courses in nuclear physics and radiation interaction, Atoms, Nuclei, and Interactions of Ionizing Radiation with Matter gives students the foundation needed to study specialized subjects such as nuclear reactor physics, radiation transport methods, radiation detection, and radiation dosimetry. The text discusses the modern physics relevant to radiation interaction beginning with a condensed examination of nuclear physics and radioactive decay. There is an examination of nuclear reaction kinematics and how the different types of radiation engage in various types of nuclear or atomic interactions with matter. The interaction probability is discussed in term of "cross section." Both classical mechanics and wave mechanics are used to derive the cross section formulas. Specific examples are given when classical mechanics breaks down and quantum mechanics prevails. Extensively class-tested, the material in Atoms, Nuclei, and Interactions of Ionizing Radiation with Matter successfully links three closely-related subjects so that they can be taught in a succinct, one-semester course. The book is intended to serve as the primary text for entry-level radiation physics courses for students majoring in nuclear engineering, health physics, or medical physics. C-K Chris Wang, who earned his Ph.D. at Ohio State University, is a professor of nuclear engineering and medical physics at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Dr. Wang has published extensively in neutron dosimetry, detection, spectrometry, and radiobiological modeling. His other areas of expertise include nuclear physics, radiation interaction, Monte Carlo methods in radiation transport, radiation protection and shielding, nuclear criticality safety, micro/nanodosimetry, and high-LET radiotherapy.