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Windows to the Universe
Particle Radiation
One main type of radiation, particle radiation, is the result of subatomic particles hurtling at tremendous speeds. Protons, cosmic rays, and alpha and beta particles are some of the most common types of particle radiation.
Particle radiation can harm living creatures and can short out electronic circuits... so it is dangerous for humans and robots alike.
Protons and electrons are two of the most common types of particles encountered. Tear apart an atom of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, and you get a proton and an electron... hence the abundance of this type of radiation.
Strip the two electrons from the second most abundant element, helium, and you are left with a nucleon containing two protons and two neutrons. This helium-nucleus particle is called an "alpha particle". Free electrons, when zipping around as radiation, are known as "beta particles". A third type, gamma radiation, is not a particle but rather a high-energy form of electromagnetic radiation.
Neutrinos are bizarre particles that can pass through almost anything, even miles (kilometers) of solid rock. Because neutrino radiation rates may be able to tell us about the nuclear reactions at the core of the Sun, scientists have gone to great lengths to try to devise detectors that sense these elusive particles.
There is a second main type of radiation, which deals with the transfer of energy by waves from vibrating electric and magnetic fields. That type of radiation is called "electromagnetic radiation".
