Uranium consisting of the same three isotopes (234U, 235U, and 238U) as natural uranium, but with a slightly greater percentage of 238U (99.8 percent instead of 99.3 percent).

A spontaneous nuclear transformation (radioactivity) characterized by the emission of energy and mass from the nucleus of the atom.

A general term denoting the amount of something received. Depending on the context, it may indicate absorbed dose, dose equivalent or committed effective dose equivalent. (see individual definitions)

Radiation dose derived from absorbed dose in tissue, but modified to take into account differing biological effectiveness of various types of radiation. The units of dose equivalent are the rem and sievert. (1 sievert = 100 rem)

An instrument, device, or material used to detect and measure accumulated radiation exposure. During the Gulf War, US forces used two types of dosimeters: a pencil-sized ionization chamber with a self-indicating (one capable of being read by the user) electrometer, and a wrist watch dosimeter, which must be sent to a laboratory to be read. The wrist watch dosimeter measures both gamma and neutron radiation and is designed to measure high doses -- i.e., following the explosion of a nuclear weapon on the battlefield. Neither was designed to detect or measure DU contamination.

The unit of force, which when applied to a one gram mass will give it an acceleration of one centimeter per second per second.