Ionization - The process of changing an atom or molecule into an ion. The separated electron and ion are referred to as an ion pair. The energy required to produce an ion pair is about 32 eV. Ionizing radiation - Any electromagnetic or particulate radiation capable of producing ions, directly or indirectly, by its passage through matter. Ionizing radiation includes gamma and X rays, alpha and beta particles, high speed electrons, neutrons, and other nuclear particles. Nucleus - The small, positively charged core of an atom.
All nuclei contain both protons and neutrons, except the nucleus of ordinary hydrogen.
Neutron - An uncharged particle with a mass slightly greater than that of the proton, and found in the nucleus of every atom heavier than ordinary hydrogen. Proton - A positively charged particle generally found in the nucleus of all atoms. Quality factor - A proportionality factor that relates the biological effects, as measured in rem, to the actual radiation energy absorbed, as expressed in rad, taking into consideration the type and energy of the radiation involved. Rad - The special unit of absorbed dose. It is that amount of any type of radiation which will deposit 100 ergs of energy per gram of material.