Health Physics Instrumentation

Our natural senses do not detect radiation, even at its most intense levels. A possible exception might be that at very high exposure rates, degradation of oxygen molecules can result in the formation of ozone, which can be perceived. In such a situation, however, survival of the organism is unlikely, so the detection of the hazard may not be helpful. In the systematic measurement of radiation we mostly use electronic instruments that are designed to exploit the types of interactions that radiation has with matter to produce a signal that can be detected and quantified. The basic types of detectors available for routine use have changed little in the several decades since most of the technologies were first made. Some significant changes have occurred in the sophistication of the computer-related accessories, use of global positioning technologies, and the use of computer programs for analysis of data.