corpuscular radiation /kôrpus″kyələr/ [L, corpusculum + radiare, to emit rays] , the radiation associated with subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons, neutrons, or alpha particles, which travel in streams at various velocities. All such particles have definite masses and radiation properties that are very different from those of electromagnetic radiations, which have no mass and travel as waves at the speed of light. See also background radiation, leakage radiation, scattered radiation.
