Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Biological Effects of Radiation

Biological Effects of Radiation

All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they...

Absorption of Radiation

Absorption of Radiation

The rate of heat transfer by emitted radiation is described by the Stefan-Boltzmann law of radiation:

Types of Radioactivity

Types of Radioactivity

The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:

Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy

Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique that provides crucial insights into the body's physiological functions at a molecular level. It is an indispensable resource for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring various illnesses, notably cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular conditions.
Fundamental Principles of PET

Positron Emission Tomography

Positron Emission Tomography

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique involving radiopharmaceuticals — substances that emit short-lived radiation. Although the first PET scanner was introduced in 1961, it took 15 more years before radiopharmaceuticals were combined with the technique and revolutionized its potential.
One of the main requirements of a PET scan is a positron-emitting radioisotope, which is produced in a cyclotron and then attached to a substance used by the part of the body...

Nuclear Fission

Nuclear Fission

Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon—that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56. Sometimes neutrons are also produced. This decomposition of a large nucleus into smaller pieces is called fission. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

COEFFICIENTS FOR ESTIMATING PRENATAL DOSE IN PREGNANT WORKERS FROM ACUTE INTAKES.

Radiation protection dosimetry·2020

Same author

Compromise of Personal Protective Clothing from Liquid Exposure.

Health physics·2020

Same author

Worker inhalation dose coefficients for radionuclides not previously identified in ICRP publication 68.

Radiation protection dosimetry·2011

Same author

Moderated 252Cf spectrum presented by Cummings.

Health physics·2010

Same author

Screening methods for estimating tritium dose.

Health physics·2008

Same author

Variations in backscatter observed in PMMA whole-body dosimetry slab phantoms.

Radiation protection dosimetry·2007

Same journal

Assessment of Health Risks of Adults and Children Due to Consumption of Uranium in Groundwater from Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India.

Health physics·2026

Same journal

Radiation Protection Abstracts, Volume 46, Number 1.

Health physics·2026

Same journal

Specialized Radiological Assets for Navigable Two-dimensional and Three-dimensional Virtual and Augmented Reality.

Health physics·2026

Same journal

DoseBusters: A Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Game for Radiation Protection and Detection.

Health physics·2026

Same journal

Radioactivity in Bottled Drinking Water from Greater Dhaka City and Concomitant Ingestion Doses to Consumers.

Health physics·2026

Same journal

Assessment of Radiation Dose and Protection Practices in Neonatal Radiography in NICUs.

Health physics·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Neutron Radiography and Computed Tomography of Biological Systems at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor

Neutron Radiography and Computed Tomography of Biological Systems at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor

Published on: May 7, 2021

Absorbed Dose Rates in Tissue from Prompt Gamma Emissions from Near-thermal Neutron Absorption.

Scott O Schwahn¹

¹*Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.

|August 28, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study analyzes prompt gamma emission data to calculate expected absorbed dose rates in tissue from natural elements exposed to neutrons. Findings aid in understanding radiation effects in neutron activation analysis applications.

More Related Videos

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera

Published on: January 30, 2020

Irradiator Commissioning and Dosimetry for Assessment of LQ α and β Parameters, Radiation Dosing Schema, and in vivo Dose Deposition

Irradiator Commissioning and Dosimetry for Assessment of LQ α and β Parameters, Radiation Dosing Schema, and in vivo Dose Deposition

Published on: March 11, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Neutron Radiography and Computed Tomography of Biological Systems at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor

Neutron Radiography and Computed Tomography of Biological Systems at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor

Published on: May 7, 2021

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera

Published on: January 30, 2020

Irradiator Commissioning and Dosimetry for Assessment of LQ α and β Parameters, Radiation Dosing Schema, and in vivo Dose Deposition

Irradiator Commissioning and Dosimetry for Assessment of LQ α and β Parameters, Radiation Dosing Schema, and in vivo Dose Deposition

Published on: March 11, 2021

Area of Science:

Nuclear Physics
Radiation Dosimetry

Background:

Prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) is a powerful technique for elemental analysis.
Accurate absorbed dose estimation is crucial for radiation safety and understanding biological effects.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine tissue-equivalent absorbed dose rates from natural elements under near-thermal neutron irradiation.
To provide a foundational dataset for radiation protection and PGNAA applications.

Main Methods:

Utilized prompt gamma emission data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) PGNAA database.
Calculated absorbed dose rates in tissue based on elemental composition and neutron flux.

Main Results:

Established expected absorbed dose rates for various natural elements in a near-thermal neutron field.
Demonstrated a correlation between elemental composition and resulting absorbed dose.

Conclusions:

The analysis provides essential data for assessing radiation hazards in PGNAA.
This work supports the safe and effective application of neutron activation analysis techniques.