Threshold radiation

Another phenomenon that was inexplicable in classical terms was the photoelectric effect discovered by Hertz in f 887. When ultraviolet light falls on an alkali metal surface, electrons are ejected from the surface only when the frequency of the radiation reaches the threshold... 

In practice the laser can operate only when n, in Equation (9.2), takes values such that the corresponding resonant frequency v lies within the line width of the transition between the two energy levels involved. If the active medium is a gas this line width may be the Doppler line width (see Section 2.3.2). Figure 9.3 shows a case where there are twelve axial modes within the Doppler profile. The number of modes in the actual laser beam depends on how much radiation is allowed to leak out of the cavity. In the example in Figure 9.3 the output level has been adjusted so that the so-called threshold condition allows six axial modes in the beam. The gain, or the degree of amplification, achieved in the laser is a measure of the intensity. 

In air, PTFE has a damage threshold of 200—700 Gy (2 x 10 — 7 x 10 rad) and retains 50% of initial tensile strength after a dose of 10" Gy (1 Mrad), 40% of initial tensile strength after a dose of 10 Gy (10 lad), and ultimate elongation of 100% or more for doses up to 2—5 kGy (2 X 10 — 5 X 10 rad). During irradiation, resistivity decreases, whereas the dielectric constant and the dissipation factor increase. After irradiation, these properties tend to return to their preexposure values. Dielectric properties at high frequency are less sensitive to radiation than are properties at low frequency. Radiation has veryHtde effect on dielectric strength (86). 

Volume of vessel (free volume V) Shape of vessel (area and aspect ratio) Type of dust cloud distribution (ISO method/pneumatic-loading method) Dust explosihility characteristics Maximum explosion overpressure P ax Maximum explosion constant K ax Minimum ignition temperature MIT Type of explosion suppressant and its suppression efficiency Type of HRD suppressors number and free volume of HRD suppressors and the outlet diameter and valve opening time Suppressant charge and propelling agent pressure Fittings elbow and/or stub pipe and type of nozzle Type of explosion detector(s) dynamic or threshold pressure, UV or IR radiation, effective system activation overpressure Hardware deployment location of HRD suppressor(s) on vessel... 

Radiation Intensity (Btuihrlffi) (kWIm ) Time to Reach Pain Threshold (s)... 

Thermal effects depend on radiation intensity and duration of radiation exposure. American Petroleum Institute s Recommended Practice 521 (1982) reviews the effects of thermal radiation on people. In Table 6.5, data on time to reach pain threshold are given. As a point of comparison, the solar radiation intensity on a clear, hot summer day is about 1 kW/m (317 Btu/hr/ft ). Criteria for thermal damage are shown in Table 6.6 (CCPS, 1989) and Figure 6.10 (Hymes 1983). 

Different materials pose different hazards, including thermal radiation, explosion overpressure, and toxic and flammable vapor clouds. Some materials pose only one hazard, while others may pose all four. For the purposes of ranking facilities you will need to estimate the laigest area affected by the potential hazards. You can arrive at such an estimate by calculating the greatest downwind distance to a particular level of hazatd. The following thresholds are commonly applied ... 

Figure 7-75. Heat radiation intensity vs. exposure time for bare skin at the threshold of pain. By permission, Kent, Hydrocarbon Processing, V. 43, No. 8 (1964), p. 121 [60].

FIGURE 1.15 When a metal is illuminated with ultraviolet radiation, electrons are ejected, provided the frequency is above a threshold frequency that is characteristic of the metal. 

Figure 4. Fe cluster ionization thresholds as a function of cluster size, as determined by photoionization yield measurements using tunable UV/VUV laser radiation.

Zero-Threshold Linear Hypothesis—The assumption that a dose-response curve derived from data in the high dose and high dose-rate ranges may be extrapolated through the low dose and low dose range to zero, implying that, theoretically, any amount of radiation will cause some damage. 

A primary beam that is free of 12 radiation is produced when the accelerating voltage is reduced below the threshold required for )J2 generation. This is given by [5]... 

For Mo-Ka radiation, 12 = 0.3554A which is produced at a threshold voltage of 34.9 kV. Operating an X-ray source at this potential also results in a drastic reduction in intensity of the desired characteristic radiation [5]. 

The above also shows that even in the cases where a well-defined initial act, such as dissociation, is necessary, we may not expect to find a sharp photochemical threshold. (Compare reference (2), page 249.) And for other than monochromatic radiation the restriction mentioned at the outset must evidently be that a photochemical temperature coefficient due to the influence of temperature on light absorption can appear to its full extent only in cases where there is small fractional reduction in the intensity of the active radiation. 

Ideally, all photons with a wavelength of about 900 nm or shorter should be harvested and converted to electric current. This limit is derived from thermodynamic considerations showing that the conversion efficiency of any single-junction photovoltaic solar converter peaks at approximately 33% near the threshold energy of lAeV.1 2 There are numerous ways to convert the solar radiation directly into electrical power or chemical fuel. The silicon solar cell is the most efficient in this respect. Nevertheless, the capital cost of such devices is not attractive for large-scale applications. 

A Test of the Linear-No-Threshold Dose-Response Relationship for Radiation Carcinogenesis... 

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