Radioactivity, Ionizing Radiation, and Nuclear Energy

The core of the book proceeds from the authors' lectures in radiochemistry and environmental radioactivity at the School of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, and in actinide and radiochemistry at Clemson University, Anderson, South Carolina. It focuses on basic information about radioactivity, nuclear reactions, properties and measurement of ionizing radiation, nuclear energy and technology, and their environmental aspects. Topics related to nuclear energy, risk of ionizing radiation for man, and environmental aspects of radioactive wastes, which continue to be popular among a wider public, have been expanded to provide information not only to university students, but also to a wider readership to offer answers to often asked topical questions that continue to be the target of frequently unjustified criticism from opponents of nuclear and radiation technologies.

The subjects covered in this book have their foundations in a blend of physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering. In relation to radiation and nuclear technologies, economics, psychology and politics take their share of credit as well. Having this in mind, and trying to cover as many topics as possible with numerous applications of radioactivity and ionizing radiation, and striving not to produce too extensive a text, some subjects had to be discussed in a simplified form. For the same reason, only a few, arbitrarily selected examples out of many were used to illustrate some facts and methods, and only simple mathematics and accompanying theory necessary for understanding the principles were utilized. The reader will find more information in the sources shown in the "Recommended Reading" sections at the end of each chapter and in the list of electronic information sources. Emphasis was laid on more recent literature, predominantly review articles published in English. Each chapter is concluded with a set of problems.