Technologiesradiation

Technologiesradiation refers to the interdisciplinary study of technologies that involve radiation in its broadest sense, including detection, generation, control, measurement, shielding, and application. It covers ionizing radiation used in medicine and industry, as well as non-ionizing forms used in communications and imaging. The field integrates physics, engineering, health physics, and information science to enable safe and effective use of radiation-based technologies.

Key topics include radiation detection and dosimetry (Geiger counters, scintillation detectors, semiconductor sensors, thermoluminescent dosimeters, electronic personal dosimeters), sources (X-ray tubes, linear accelerators, sealed radioactive sources, particle accelerators), shielding design and radiological safety, and regulatory frameworks guided by ALARA principles. Applications span medical imaging and therapy (X-ray, CT, PET, radiotherapy), industrial radiography and nondestructive testing, nuclear power and fuel cycle, environmental surveillance, and homeland security.

History: emerged from discoveries of X-rays and radioactivity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, expanding into modern diagnostics, therapy, and energy systems. Current research aims to improve detector performance, reduce patient and worker doses, advance real-time dosimetry, and enhance computational tools (Monte Carlo methods, simulations) for dose estimation and shielding optimization.

Safety and ethics: the field emphasizes radiation protection, waste management, and responsible use of radiation in medicine and industry. While the term technologiesradiation is not widely standardized, it is used to describe the integrated set of technologies that harness, measure, and mitigate radiative phenomena.