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Wavelength: 3 x 10 ^ - 11 m and down
Discovery
Gamma rays were discovered by
Villard, a French physicist in 1900.
How
Gamma Rays are produced:
Gamma rays can be produced in labs through the
process of nuclear collision and also through the artificial radioactivity that
accompanies these interactions. The high-energy nuclei needed for the
collisions are accelerated by devices such as the cyclotron and synchrotron.
Uses:
Medicine
Gamma rays are used in medicine to kill and treat certain types of cancers
and tumors. Gamma rays passing through tissue of the body produce ionization in
tissue. Gamma rays can harm the cells in our body. The rays can also detect
brain and cardiovascular abnormalities.
Industry
Gamma rays can be used to examine metallic castings or welds in oil
pipelines for weak points. The rays pass through the metal and darken a
photographic film at places opposite the weak points. In industry, gamma rays
are used for detecting internal defects in metal castings and in welded
structures. Gamma rays are used to kill pesticides and bugs in food. Gamma rays
are also used in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs.
Consumer goods
Gamma rays are often used in the food industry. The radioisotopes preserve
foods. Although the rays never come in contact with food, beta radiation kills
various organisms, such as bacteria, yeast, and insects.
Science
Gamma rays can be used to detect beryllium.
They also played a very important role in the development of the atom bomb.
Dangers:
Gamma rays bombard our bodies constantly. They come from the naturally
radioactive materials in rocks and the soil. We take some of these materials
into our bodies from the air we breathe and the water we drink. Gamma rays
passing through our body produce ionization in tissue. High levels of gamma
rays can produce dangerous ionization of the tissue and can cause skin cancer.
Precautions
Protection from gamma rays can be obtained using a sheet of iron that is a
1/2 inch thick. This kind of shielding will block only 50% of 1 million
electron volts of gamma rays. We can also protect ourselves from gamma rays
with 4 inches of water. Lead provides the most protection from gamma rays. A
1/4 of an inch lead absorbs all the gamma ray exposure.
Gamma Rays from Outer Space:
In a few major bursts, the sun produces gamma rays with energies up to one
million electron volts. The interaction of high-energy electrons, protons, and
nuclei of the sun, emit the rays. Gamma rays can also come from the sun and
other stars in space, through the creation and death of the stars along with
the creation of solar flares. Astronomers have studied gamma rays to gain a
better understanding of the astronomical process. To collect these waves,
astronomers installed optical collects with wide apertures at the Whipple
Observatory. Gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation similar to
x-rays. Gamma rays may carry millions of electron volts. As gamma rays pass
through matter, they lose energy, but at the same time, knock electrons loose
from the atom which ionizes them. Uranium and other naturally occurring
radioactive elements, which emit alpha and beta particles from their nuclei
while transforming into new elements, also emit gamma rays.
Contributors:
John Squillace
Saro Varjabedian
Stephen Farina
Michael Racanelli
Justin Knowles
Michael Ralston
Vanessa Gonzalez
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