Action of radiation on measuring systems

More and more frequently, electronic equipment is introduced into environments where various types of nuclear radiation (X or gamma photons, electrons, charged heavy particles, etc.) are present.

Note that the term "radiation" includes not only strictly photonic emissions (X or γ), but also nuclear particle emissions. Not all nuclear interaction phenomena within materials are equally effective at disrupting them, but all result in the transfer of energy to components (active or passive), through complex interactions (collisions, ionizations...), modifying their performance, or destroying them.

From the point of view of general theory, radiation-matter interactions are described in the article [21] in Techniques de l'ingénieur. To characterize these actions of energy deposition, we will use a few important concepts such as dose, dose rate, activity, etc. 1.2 . Without claiming to make an exhaustive list of the types of measurements confronted by the various types of radiation, we shall first mention 1.3 a number of the fields concerned and provide some figures on the disturbing media.

We will then look at 2 ...