Preface -- Chapter 1 Preliminary Remarks -- 1.1 References -- Chapter 2 Prerequisites for the Irradiation of Materials -- 2.1 Materials and purity, an old story -- 2.1.1 Materials and disorder in ancient history -- 2.2 Discovering the particles behind irradiation -- 2.2.1 High-voltage generation -- 2.2.2 Vacuum control -- 2.2.3 Cathode rays -- 2.2.4 Discovery of X-rays -- 2.2.5 Discovery of the electron -- 2.2.6 Discovery of radioactivity -- 2.3 First irradiation experiments -- 2.3.1 Pleochroic halos -- 2.4 Secondary effects of radiation -- 2.5 Chapter 2 references -- 2.5.1 A brief chronology -- 2.5.2 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 2.6 References -- Chapter 3 Particle Transport -- 3.1 It all started with collision experiments -- 3.2 Slowing down in the matter -- 3.3 Particle stopping power -- 3.3.1 Electronic stopping power -- 3.3.2 Nuclear stopping power -- 3.4 Particle range -- 3.5 Transport simulation -- 3.5.1 First simulations -- 3.6 Channeling effects -- 3.7 Chapter 3 references -- 3.7.1 Short chronology -- 3.7.2 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 3.8 References -- Chapter 4 First Notions of Defects -- 4.1 First observations of defects -- 4.1.1 Photographic processes -- 4.1.2 First experiments: an approach guided by sight -- 4.1.3 Defects, a useful concept for diffusion -- 4.2 Notions of defects -- 4.3 Chapter 4 references -- 4.3.1 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 4.4 References -- Chapter 5 Defect Creation Mechanisms -- 5.1 Production of defects by irradiation -- 5.1.1 Creation of defects by electronic excitations and ionizations -- 5.1.2 Models for the creation of defects by elastic collisions -- 5.2 Determination of threshold displacement energy -- 5.2.1 Threshold displacement energy mapping -- 5.3 Numerical simulations -- 5.3.1 Creation and stability of point defects -- 5.3.2 Thermal spike -- 5.4 Irradiation-induced sputtering -- 5.4.1 Metal sputtering -- 5.4.2 Uranium sputtering -- 5.5 Chapter 5 references -- 5.5.1 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 5.6 References -- Chapter 6 Metals Under Irradiation -- 6.1 Notions shared with other disciplines -- 6.1.1 Self-diffusion in metals -- 6.1.2 Cold metalworking -- 6.1.3 Dislocation theory -- 6.2 Creation of defects in metals by irradiation -- 6.2.1 Irradiation of pure metals -- 6.2.2 Irradiation of ordered alloys -- 6.3 Displacement threshold -- 6.4 Description of defects -- 6.4.1 Experimental observations of point defects -- 6.5 Defect annealing -- 6.6 Chapter 6 references -- 6.6.1 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 6.7 References -- Chapter 7 Semiconductors Under Irradiation -- 7.1 First irradiation of semiconductors -- 7.2 Defect generation and counting -- 7.2.1 Determining the displacement threshold -- 7.2.2 High-energy deposits -- 7.2.3 Description of defects -- 7.3 Diffusion in semiconductors -- 7.3.1 Smart Cut process -- 7.4 Chapter 7 references -- 7.4.1 Laboratories and personalities in this chapter -- 7.5 References -- Chapter 8 Iono-covalent Insulators Under Irradiation -- 8.1 Iono-covalent materials under irradiation -- 8.1.1 Defects in iono-covalent materials -- 8.1.2 Threshold displacement energy in inorganic insulators -- 8.1.3 Phase transformation under irradiation -- 8.2 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 8.3 References -- Chapter 9 Polymers Under Irradiation -- 9.1 First irradiations of polymers -- 9.2 Research into degradation mechanisms -- 9.3 Radio-oxidation of polymers -- 9.4 Research and development, an active field -- 9.5 Chapter 9 references -- 9.5.1 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 9.6 References -- Chapter 10 Radiolysis of Liquids -- 10.1 Upstream of the notion of radiolysis -- 10.2 Activated water -- 10.3 Free radicals -- 10.4 Solvated electrons -- 10.4.1 Solvated electrons, an old story -- 10.5 Effects of the spatial structure of energy deposits -- 10.6 Radiolysis yields -- 10.7 Chapter 10 references -- 10.7.1 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 10.8 References -- Chapter 11 Irradiation Tools -- 11.1 Accelerators -- 11.1.1 Radio-frequency cavity accelerators -- 11.1.2 Electrostatic accelerators -- 11.1.3 Tandem elect\rostatic accelerators -- 11.1.4 Pulsed electron accelerators -- 11.2 Nuclear reactors -- 11.3 Recent developments -- 11.4 Chapter 11 references -- 11.4.1 Biographies of some of the chapter's personalities -- 11.5 References -- Chapter 12 Irradiation Applications -- 12.1 Medical applications -- 12.1.1 Radiography -- 12.1.2 Radiotherapies -- 12.1.3 Nuclear medicine -- 12.1.4 Radiosterilization -- 12.2 Food processing -- 12.3 Polymer irradiation applications -- 12.4 Semiconductor doping -- 12.4.1 Doping by implantation -- 12.4.2 Transmutation doping -- 12.5 Radiation resistance of electronic components -- 12.6 Ion track technology -- 12.7 Cultural and historical heritage materials -- 12.8 References -- Conclusions -- C.1 An active community -- C.2 Future prospects -- C.3 References -- Index.