In particular how will the different types kill me. I learned at school that there’s Alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation. Alpha is the emission of a helium atom (or its equivalent), Beta is the emission of an electron and I’m not at all sure about Gamma rays.
From what I remember the first two only kill if ingested or inhaled, while Gamma rays are kinda like the much loved 1920’s death rays, correct?
I was wondering what they do to kill you when you’re exposed to them in some horrible incident. This is where my science is hazy, IIRC a slight bit of radiation knocks bits of your DNA and causes mutations, is this sped up when a lot of radiation strikes you down? Or is it just like being simply burned internally and externally all at once?
I’m no genius…but as I understand it, it breaks down like this.
In simple terms, radiation is emitted energy…think of it in this example as heat from a fire. (overly simplified, but go with me on this)
If you’re really close to a highly radioactive source, basically you get third degree burns and immediate cell damage. Farther away and you get second degree burns, etc…
Basically it’ll either cook you, or if it doesn’t burn you outright, as I understand it, radiation poisoning basically consists of your lungs filling with fluid (after you go blind from your retinas being destroyed) and you drown in your own fluid painfully in bed over the next 5-7 days or so.
If yer lucky, you just have kids with tentacles later on in life…
Basically, radiation kills by ionization. Alpha and beta are the most ionizing (alpha is +2, beta is -1 charge), but they have poor penetration. Alpha is a helium nucleus, so anything that can block helium can stop alpha radiation. Beta is an electron, so we use about 1 cm of lucite to stop it.
Gamma is the least ionizing, but can penetrate through many inches of lead. So, as a whole you need more gamma radiation. Gamma is just electromagnetic waves – photons that are exactly the same wavelength as X-rays.
When a gamma ray hits a molecule, it energizes the electron, which can create a free radical. This can cause oxidative damage in a cell. DNA is particularly good at absorbing radiation, especially UV radiation. The fastest growing cells, since they transcribe the DNA the most, are the most susceptible. These are gut and lung lining, skin cells, hair cells, vascular endothelium, and immune cells. When these are killed off, you have gastrointestinal collapse, lung and peripheral edema, and skin ulceration. This is how most radiation poisoned people end up dying.
To be more precise, alphas and betas (and neutrons) tend to do their damage in a smaller area - gammas typically create just one ion each (but these may cause secondary ionizations) while the other particles can create a whole bunch, often close together. Since gammas are penetrating radiation, their damage will tend to be spread out, and they may not interact at all. Charged particles will always deposit their energy.
It kills you fast or slow, depending on how much you get. In massive doses the burns are very much like any other full thickness burn. In lower doses, your fastest replicating cells are killed. Your gut will slough and bleed. That means from your lips to you anus. Your hair falls out and your bone marrow dies. That means no white blood cells to fight infection and no platelets to stop bleeding. Death follows in a few days to weeks.
See the movie K-19 for a realistic depiction of radiation sickness, and prepare to be depressed. See Star Trek for a very unrealistic depiction. “Captain, we can safely withstand this radiation for 20 minutes, and then we will die.”
