Physics for Radiation Protection 3e

This new edition has been entirely updated and complemented by new material (e.g. on recent events like Fukushima). The first two chapters are completely rewritten and other chapters are shortened due to recent developments. Hence, due to recent trends in digital imaging replacing film most of the X-ray chapter is deleted. Nevertheless, the book still provides an overview of the major discoveries in radiation physics, there is an extensive discussion of radioactivity, including sources and materials, it includes calculational methods for radiation exposure, extensive appendices and more than 400 figures and there is extensive and current resource data which is cross-referenced to standard compendiums. This book is an important contribution to the scientific literature and corner stone of research involving radiation producing machines and the use of radioactive materials in various industrial endeavours.

A practical guide for health physicists and other radiation protection professionals. This much-needed working resource presents clear, thorough, up-to-date explanations of the basic physics necessary to address real-world problems in radiation protection. Designed for readers with limited as well as basic science backgrounds, the text emphasizes applied concepts and carefully illustrates all topics through examples as well as practice problems. Physics for Radiation Protection draws substantially on current resource data available for health physics use, providing decay schemes and emission energies for approximately 100 of the most common radionuclides encountered by practitioners. Excerpts from the Chart of the Nuclides, activation cross sections, fission yields, fission-product chains, photon attenuation coefficients, and nuclear masses are also provided. Coverage includes: * The atom as an energy system * An overview of the major discoveries in radiation physics * Extensive discussion of radioactivity, including sources and materials * Nuclear interactions and processes of radiation dose * Calculational methods for radiation exposure, dose, and shielding * Nuclear fission and production of activation and fission products * Specialty topics ranging from nuclear criticality and applied statistics to digital imaging * Extensive and current resource data cross-referenced to standard compendiums * Recent critical events * Extensive appendices and more than 400 figures This complete discussion of the basic concepts allows readers to advance their professional skills.