Radiation Detection and Measurement

Radiation Detection and Measurement is a fundamental discipline within nuclear engineering focused on the principles, instrumentation, and techniques used to identify and quantify ionizing radiation. It involves the design and application of various detectors—such as gas-filled detectors, scintillators, and semiconductors—that work by converting the energy deposited by radiation (alpha, beta, gamma, or neutrons) into a measurable electrical signal. The field is critical for characterizing radiation fields, determining radiation dose for safety and health physics, monitoring nuclear reactor operations, and enabling applications in medical imaging, environmental monitoring, and national security.

1. Fundamentals of Radiation Physics
   1. Atomic and Nuclear Structure
      1. The Atom
         1. Atomic Number and Mass Number
         2. Electron Configuration
         3. Atomic Orbitals
         4. Electron Shells and Subshells
      2. The Nucleus
         1. Composition of Protons and Neutrons
         2. Nuclear Forces
            1. Strong Nuclear Force
            2. Electromagnetic Force in Nucleus
         3. Nuclear Size and Density
         4. Nuclear Models
      3. Nuclides and Isotopes
         1. Isotopes
         2. Isobars
         3. Isotones
         4. Isomers
         5. Nuclear Notation
         6. Chart of Nuclides
      4. Nuclear Binding Energy
         1. Mass-Energy Equivalence
         2. Mass Defect
         3. Binding Energy per Nucleon
         4. Nuclear Stability
         5. Valley of Beta Stability
   2. Radioactivity
      1. The Decay Process
         1. Spontaneous Nuclear Transformation
         2. Parent and Daughter Nuclides
         3. Conservation Laws in Decay
      2. Activity and Half-Life
         1. Definition of Activity
         2. Decay Constant
         3. Exponential Decay Law
         4. Half-Life
         5. Mean Life
         6. Specific Activity
      3. Secular and Transient Equilibrium
         1. Conditions for Secular Equilibrium
         2. Conditions for Transient Equilibrium
         3. Applications in Decay Series
      4. Decay Chains
         1. Series Decay
         2. Natural Decay Series
            1. Uranium-238 Series
            2. Uranium-235 Series
            3. Thorium-232 Series
         3. Branching Ratios
   3. Types of Ionizing Radiation
      1. Heavy Charged Particles
         1. Alpha Particles
            1. Properties and Characteristics
            2. Natural Alpha Sources
            3. Artificial Alpha Sources
         2. Protons
            1. Properties and Characteristics
            2. Accelerator-Produced Protons
         3. Fission Fragments
            1. Origin in Nuclear Fission
            2. Energy Distribution
            3. Mass Distribution
         4. Other Heavy Ions
      2. Light Charged Particles
         1. Beta-Minus Decay
            1. Decay Process and Mechanism
            2. Energy Spectrum
            3. Neutrino Emission
         2. Beta-Plus Decay
            1. Decay Process and Mechanism
            2. Positron Properties
            3. Annihilation Radiation
         3. Electron Capture
            1. Competing Process with Beta-Plus
            2. X-Ray Emission
         4. Internal Conversion Electrons
         5. Auger Electrons
            1. Emission Mechanism
            2. Energy Characteristics
      3. Electromagnetic Radiation
         1. Gamma Rays
            1. Origin in Nuclear Transitions
            2. Discrete Energy Spectrum
            3. Internal Conversion
         2. X-Rays
            1. Characteristic X-Rays
            2. Bremsstrahlung X-Rays
            3. Production Mechanisms
         3. Annihilation Radiation
            1. 511 keV Photons
      4. Neutrons
         1. Neutron Properties
         2. Neutron Sources
            1. Spontaneous Fission Sources
            2. Alpha-Neutron Reactions
            3. Photoneutron Sources
            4. Reactor Neutrons
            5. Accelerator-Produced Neutrons
         3. Classification by Energy
            1. Thermal Neutrons
            2. Epithermal Neutrons
            3. Fast Neutrons
            4. Relativistic Neutrons