Ionizing radiation behavior and shielding

Ionizing radiation is radiation with particle energies greater than the energy needed to remove an outermost electron from an atom. Exposure to ionizing radiation causes damage to living tissue, and can result in detrimental mutations. Thus, ionizing radiation shielding is discipline of great practical importance. This thesis is concerned with its basic principles and methods. Firstly, it gives thorough account of four major classes of ionizing radiation - alpha and beta particles, gamma rays, and neutron radiation - and their peculiarities with respect to shielding. The next part contains description of mathematical model developed to assess and simulate interactions of radiation with matter. Finally, assignment for a laboratory exercise is presented