The Atom – An Organism

Radiation Effects in Materials, Volume 1: Atomic Radiation and Polymers considers the theoretical and experimental studies on the association between polymers and atomic radiation. The use of radiation in polymer science constitutes a powerful tool for the quantitative study of macromolecules. This book consists of 31 chapters, and starts with a brief introduction to fundamentals of atomic radiation and polymer structure. The next chapters focus on some aspect of atomic radiation, including radiation units, radiation-matter interaction, and nuclear and electrical sources of radiation. A chapter presents the appropriate methods to study radiation chemistry and polymer. Considerable chapters are devoted to the molecular structure, chemistry, and reactions of polymers. This volume also describes some significant chemical changes of radiation. Other chapters explore the properties and reactions of various irradiated polymers. The remaining chapters deal with radiation protection effects in polymers, which are processes wherein small changes in chemical structure within a molecule or in its neighborhood can exert a disproportionately large influence on the overall chemical reactions. This book is of value to nuclear and solid state physicists, organic and polymer chemists, and nuclear engineers and radiobiologists.