Induced Radioactivity

Radioactivity that is created by bombarding a substance with neutrons in a reactor or with charged particles produced by particle accelerators.

Radioactivity produced in certain materials as a result of nuclear reactions, particularly the capture of neutrons, which are accompanied by the formation of unstable (radioactive) nuclei. In a nuclear explosion, neutrons can induce radioactivity in the weapon materials, as well as in the surroundings (e.g., by interaction with nitrogen in the air and with sodium, manganese, aluminum, and silicon in soil and sea water). 138