An illustration of the Cherenkov effect.
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For more on radiation, visit our tour of electromagnetic radiation.

Radiation

If you are sitting in the dentist's chair and they decide to X-ray your teeth, they put a big shield over you for protection. Why? Because they need to shield you from 'radiation'.

Radiation comes in many forms. Radiation is another term for light, as in "ultraviolet radiation". Visible light, infrared, and X-rays are all other names for radiation at specific wavelengths. Radiation is also generated by charged particles, especially when they are moving very fast.

One place in nature where electrons (one of the charged particles that make up an atom) can move very fast is inside a planet's magnetosphere. Earth, Jupiter, and even the little moon Ganymede, all are surrounded by belts of radiation called 'radiation belts'.

Radiation can kill you. Radiation can also damage electronic hardware. The main reason radiation is harmful is that it causes little defects in material, from human skin to metals, and causes matter to break down. Radiation can also do good things, though, such as helping doctors to image your body and determine what if something is wrong. Radiation can even cause new molecules to form on the surface of Europa.

A special kind of radiation, called Cherenkov radiation is illustrated in this drawing.

Last modified September 19, 2003 by Roberta Johnson.

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