Initial and final state radiation Initial and final state radiation In particle physics, initial and final state radiation refers to certain kinds of radiative emissions that are not due to particle annihilation. It is important in experimental and theoretical studies of interactions at particle colliders. Particle accelerators and colliders produce collisions (interactions) of particles (like the electron or the proton). In the terminology of the quantum state, the colliding particles form the "Initial State". In the collision, particles can be annihilated or/and exchanged, producing possibly different sets of particles, the "Final States". The Initial and Final States of the interaction relate through the so-called scattering
Ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation (ionising radiation) is radiation that carries enough energy to knock electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby ionizing them. Ionizing radiation is made up of energetic subatomic particles, ions or atoms moving at high speeds (usually greater than 1% of the speed of light), and electromagnetic waves on the high-energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Gamma rays, X-rays, and the higher ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum are ionizing, whereas the lower ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum and all the spectrum below UV, including visible light (including nearly all types of laser light), infrared, microwaves, and