1.2 Classification of ionizing radiation

Ionizing radiation is classified into two types:

i. Directly ionizing radiation

#### Figure 2.

The schematic representation of the different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

	- Energy can be deposited by directly ionizing radiation in the medium through direct coulomb interaction between the directly ionizing charged particles and orbital electrons of atoms.
	- This consists of neutral particles, photons (X-ray and γ-rays), and neutrons.
		- Energy can be deposited by indirectly ionizing radiation (photons or neutrons) in the medium through two steps:
			- 1.First step: a charged molecule is transmitted in the medium (photons discharge electrons or positrons; neutrons discharge protons or heavier particles).
			- 2.The second step: the produced charged particles store vitality to the medium through direct Coulomb interaction with the orbital electrons of the atoms.
