Radioactivity: Anthropogenic Sources

This book provides an accessible introduction to radioactivity. The second in a two-volume set, this volume is presented in two parts, covering its development and modern applications.

It first explores the development and applications of technically enhanced natural radioactivity (TENR) and addresses nuclear energy sources, the fission and fusion processes, and the issues of radioactive fallout from nuclear weapon use and test programs. Later chapters explore the cutting-edge medical applications of radioactive materials in diagnostics and therapy, exploring nuclear medicine technologies such as x-ray tomography, brachytherapy, and positron emission tomography (PET). They also detail the broad range of applications of radioactive materials in industrial production processes, in the sterilization of tools and materials in the medical and the food industries, and in the analysis of art and archaeological material to analyse paintings and painting techniques to identify fakes and forgeries. The book concludes with a discussion of the societal impact and understanding of radioactivity, alongside detailing the underlying reasons for its negative preconceptions and the possible mitigation of these through better education and information practices.

This book will be of interest to non-science undergraduate and physics graduate students alike, as well as to interested lay-people looking for an introduction to radioactivity.

Key Features:

- Written in an accessible style, to be understood by readers without a formal scientific education

- Highly illustrated throughout

- Authored by an expert in the field, drawing from decades of experience in experimental nuclear physics

Michael Wiescher is Freimann Professor for Physics and Director of the Institute for Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics at the University of Notre Dame, Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University, Visiting Professor at the University of Edinburgh, UK.