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This content is available for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11760/1.9

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Term
Definition
positron emission   (also, β+ decay) conversion of a proton into a neutron, which remains in the nucleus, and a positron, which is emitted  
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radiation absorbed dose (rad)   SI unit for measuring radiation dose, frequently used in medical applications; 1 rad = 0.01 Gy  
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radiation dosimeter   device that measures ionizing radiation and is used to determine personal radiation exposure  
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radiation therapy   use of high-energy radiation to damage the DNA of cancer cells, which kills them or keeps them from dividing  
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radioactive decay   spontaneous decay of an unstable nuclide into another nuclide  
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radioactive decay series   chains of successive disintegrations (radioactive decays) that ultimately lead to a stable end-product  
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radioactive tracer   (also, radioactive label) radioisotope used to track or follow a substance by monitoring its radioactive emissions  
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radioactivity   phenomenon exhibited by an unstable nucleon that spontaneously undergoes change into a nucleon that is more stable; an unstable nucleon is said to be radioactive  
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radiocarbon dating   highly accurate means of dating objects 30,000–50,000 years old that were derived from once-living matter; achieved by calculating the ratio of 6 14C: 6 12C in the object vs. the ratio of 6 14C: 6 12C in the present-day atmosphere  
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radioisotope   isotope that is unstable and undergoes conversion into a different, more stable isotope  
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radiometric dating   use of radioisotopes and their properties to date the formation of objects such as archeological artifacts, formerly living organisms, or geological formations  
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reactor coolant   assembly used to carry the heat produced by fission in a reactor to an external boiler and turbine where it is transformed into electricity  
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relative biological effectiveness (RBE)   measure of the relative damage done by radiation  
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roentgen equivalent man (rem)   unit for radiation damage, frequently used in medicine; 1 rem = 1 Sv  
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scintillation counter   instrument that uses a scintillator—a material that emits light when excited by ionizing radiation—to detect and measure radiation  
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sievert (Sv)   SI unit measuring tissue damage caused by radiation; takes into account energy and biological effects of radiation  
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strong nuclear force   force of attraction between nucleons that holds a nucleus together  
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subcritical mass   amount of fissionable material that cannot sustain a chain reaction; less than a critical mass  
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supercritical mass   amount of material in which there is an increasing rate of fission  
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transmutation reaction   bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or neutrons  
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transuranium element   element with an atomic number greater than 92; these elements do not occur in nature  
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gamma ray   (γ or 0 0γ) short wavelength, high-energy electromagnetic radiation that exhibits wave-particle duality  
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Geiger counter   instrument that detects and measures radiation via the ionization produced in a Geiger-Müller tube  
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gray (Gy)   SI unit for measuring radiation dose; 1 Gy = 1 J absorbed/kg tissue  
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half-life (t1/2)   time required for half of the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay  
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internal radiation therapy   (also, brachytherapy) radiation from a radioactive substance introduced into the body to kill cancer cells  
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ionizing radiation   radiation that can cause a molecule to lose an electron and form an ion  
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magic number   nuclei with specific numbers of nucleons that are within the band of stability  
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mass defect   difference between the mass of an atom and the summed mass of its constituent subatomic particles (or the mass “lost” when nucleons are brought together to form a nucleus)  
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mass-energy equivalence equation   Albert Einstein’s relationship showing that mass and energy are equivalent  
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millicurie (mCi)   larger unit for rate of radioactive decay frequently used in medicine; 1 Ci = 3.7 × 1010 disintegrations/s  
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nonionizing radiation   radiation that speeds up the movement of atoms and molecules; it is equivalent to heating a sample, but is not energetic enough to cause the ionization of molecules  
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nuclear binding energy   energy lost when an atom’s nucleons are bound together (or the energy needed to break a nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons)  
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nuclear chemistry   study of the structure of atomic nuclei and processes that change nuclear structure  
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nuclear fuel   fissionable isotope present in sufficient quantities to provide a self-sustaining chain reaction in a nuclear reactor  
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nuclear moderator   substance that slows neutrons to a speed low enough to cause fission  
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nuclear reaction   change to a nucleus resulting in changes in the atomic number, mass number, or energy state  
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nuclear reactor   environment that produces energy via nuclear fission in which the chain reaction is controlled and sustained without explosion  
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nuclear transmutation   conversion of one nuclide into another nuclide  
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nucleon   collective term for protons and neutrons in a nucleus  
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nuclide   nucleus of a particular isotope  
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parent nuclide   unstable nuclide that changes spontaneously into another (daughter) nuclide  
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particle accelerator   device that uses electric and magnetic fields to increase the kinetic energy of nuclei used in transmutation reactions  
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positron (+10β or +10 e)   antiparticle to the electron; it has identical properties to an electron, except for having the opposite (positive) charge  
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alpha (α) decay   loss of an alpha particle during radioactive decay  
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alpha particle (α or 24He or 24α)   high-energy helium nucleus; a helium atom that has lost two electrons and contains two protons and two neutrons  
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antimatter   particles with the same mass but opposite properties (such as charge) of ordinary particles  
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band of stability   (also, belt of stability, zone of stability, or valley of stability) region of graph of number of protons versus number of neutrons containing stable (nonradioactive) nuclides  
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becquerel (Bq)   SI unit for rate of radioactive decay; 1 Bq = 1 disintegration/s  
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beta (β) decay   breakdown of a neutron into a proton, which remains in the nucleus, and an electron, which is emitted as a beta particle  
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beta particle (β or −10e or −10β)   high-energy electron  
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binding energy per nucleon   total binding energy for the nucleus divided by the number of nucleons in the nucleus  
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chain reaction   repeated fission caused when the neutrons released in fission bombard other atoms  
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chemotherapy   similar to internal radiation therapy, but chemical rather than radioactive substances are introduced into the body to kill cancer cells  
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containment system   (also, shield) a three-part structure of materials that protects the exterior of a nuclear fission reactor and operating personnel from the high temperatures, pressures, and radiation levels inside the reactor  
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control rod   material inserted into the fuel assembly that absorbs neutrons and can be raised or lowered to adjust the rate of a fission reaction  
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critical mass   amount of fissionable material that will support a self-sustaining (nuclear fission) chain reaction  
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curie (Ci)   larger unit for rate of radioactive decay frequently used in medicine; 1 Ci = 3.7 × 1010 disintegrations/s  
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daughter nuclide   nuclide produced by the radioactive decay of another nuclide; may be stable or may decay further  
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electron capture   combination of a core electron with a proton to yield a neutron within the nucleus  
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electron volt (eV)   measurement unit of nuclear binding energies, with 1 eV equaling the amount energy due to the moving an electron across an electric potential difference of 1 volt  
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external beam radiation therapy   radiation delivered by a machine outside the body  
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fissile (or fissionable)   when a material is capable of sustaining a nuclear fission reaction  
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fission   splitting of a heavier nucleus into two or more lighter nuclei, usually accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy  
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fusion   combination of very light nuclei into heavier nuclei, accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy  
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fusion reactor   nuclear reactor in which fusion reactions of light nuclei are controlled  
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gamma (γ) emission   decay of an excited-state nuclide accompanied by emission of a gamma ray  
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