Radiation detection is a complex process that requires the use of specialized instruments. The most common type of radiation detector is a Geiger-Mueller (GM) tube, also known as a Geiger counter. Other methods and equipment used to detect radiation include film badges, gas ionization devices, radon detectors, personal radiation detectors, fog chambers, and scintillation counters. When it comes to radiation detection, many people mistakenly group all instruments under the term “Geiger counters”.
While one of the most common types of radiation detectors is called a “Geiger Mueller (G-M)” tube, the phrase “Geiger counter” is not always the most appropriate. Radiation detection devices are typically classified by the type of detector element employed or by the application involved. In addition to being referred to as an ion chamber, a probing meter, a pollution meter, or a Frisker probe, radiation detection instruments can also be referred to by their application. For example, alpha radiation cannot be detected because it is blocked by the mobile phone case, lens and cover.
These detectors indicate high levels of radiation for some time, while other detectors indicate levels of radiation at that point. Radiation can also be detected by other means in laboratory environments, such as photographic film plates which change optical density when exposed to ionizing particles. Advanced image sensors installed in smartphones can detect both visible light and ionizing radiation. The advantage of using a smartphone application in radiation detection is that it is cheap, easy to operate and accessible since many people own smartphones.
This work aims to investigate a well-reviewed smartphone application for radiation dosimetry that is available for popular smartphone devices under a calibration protocol typically used for commercial calibration of radiation dosimetry detectors. As the distance increases, the dose rate decreases and consequently the radiation detected by the application decreases. Various methods and equipment are used to detect radiation, such as film plates, gas ionization devices, Geiger-Muller counters, radon detectors, personal radiation detectors, fog chambers, and scintillation counters. The advantage of using a smartphone app in radiation detection is that it is cheap, easy to operate and accessible since many people have smartphones. In conclusion, there are several ways to detect radiation depending on the application and environment. Geiger-Mueller tubes are one of the most common types of radiation detectors but there are other methods such as film badges, gas ionization devices, radon detectors, personal radiation detectors, fog chambers and scintillation counters.
Smartphones can also be used to detect ionizing radiation in addition to visible light.
