Radiation Interaction

The physics interactions of the various ionizing radiations are discussed in this chapter. The energy loss mechanism for heavy charged particles and the Bethe-Bloch formula to evaluate their stopping power and the traversed range in matter are presented, with practical examples and working plots employed during the text. The interaction of electrons is then discussed, with reference to their main interaction modes, collisional and radiative. The main interaction modes of energetic photons (photoelectric, Compton and pair production) are presented, with various examples concerning their absorption properties in a material. A brief description is also provided of the neutron interaction processes.