Finally, basic techniques for performing radiological surveys are summarized. The cGy is a measure of absorbed dose in any material. Use of the term cGy is not restricted to x- or gamma radiation, but can be used for all forms of ionizing radiation, including particulate. Dose means the total amount of energy absorbed. The exposure could be single or multiple and either short or long in duration.
Dose rate is the dose of radiation per unit time.
Excitation is a change in energy level of an orbital electron and occurs when the energy lost by the incident radiation is insufficient to cause ionization. It can result from interactions involving incident photons of gamma or x-radiation or from inelastic collisions of particles. When the excited electron returns to its ground-state energy level, it must give off energy in the form of a photon of a electromagnetic radiation, which is usually of low enough energy to be detected with a photomultiplier tube. Ionization is the separation of an electrically neutral atom or molecule into electrically charged components termed an ion pair. Specific ionization is the number of ion pair per unit distance formed along the path of a particle.