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883 bytes added ,  22:03, July 8, 2008
all radioactivity is particle emission.
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Other topics include [[background radiation]], [[cosmic rays]], and the medical use of radiation, as in cancer therapy. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 16:32, 8 July 2008 (EDT)
 
Other topics include [[background radiation]], [[cosmic rays]], and the medical use of radiation, as in cancer therapy. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 16:32, 8 July 2008 (EDT)
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: Xrays are neither radioactivity nor produced by radioactivity.  An Xray is produced in a cathode ray tube (akin to a traditional television).  A gamma ray is produced when a proton is converted into a neutron.  This sends a neutrino and a positron out of the nucleus.  The positron immediately interacts with an electron and they annihilate each other.  This produces two 511 keV photons which are in the Gamma ray range of the spectrum.  This form of radiation is used in positron emission tomography.
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: In essence, all radioactivity is the emission of a particle of some sort or another.  Any photons or electromagnetic waves (depending on how you want to think about it) is the result of an antiparticle annihilating.
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: It is also important to to confuse radiation with radioactivity.  The two are separate and distinct concepts. --[[User:Rutm|Rutm]] 18:03, 8 July 2008 (EDT)
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