G amm a Ra y

Gamma radiation, also known as gamma

rays, refers to electromagnetic radiation of
an extremely high frequency and therefore
consists of high-energy photons. Gamma
rays are ionizing radiation, and are thus
biologically hazardous. Paul Villard, a
French chemist and physicist, discovered
gamma radiation in 1900, while studying
radiation emitted from radium. Villard's
radiation was named "gamma rays" by
Ernest Rutherford in 1903.
What characterises gamma radiation is the
transition in an unstable nucleus from a high
energy state to a lower energy state. The results are
photons with tiny wavelengths and intense
frequencies, thus the photons have a very high state
of energy. Due to the high energy of gamma
radiation it penetrates more objects compared to
alpha and beta radiation, because of this it has its
benefits as well limitations. Since the particles from
a gamma decay are photons they have no mass or
charge, therefore gamma radiation can be referred
to as electromagnetic radiation. In addition to this
characteristic, photons do not ionize matter directly,
instead the matter is ionized indirectly. There three
key interactions between gamma rays and matter
which will be addressed in this paper: photoelectric
effect, Compton scattering, pair production.
The first person to discover gamma rays
was the German physicist Paul Villard,
who observed them in 1886 in France

However, it wasn’t until 1903 that gamma

rays were identified as a type of
electromagnetic radiation.

This discovery was made by the English

physicist Ernest Rutherford. Rutherford’s
experiments showed that gamma rays
could penetrate matter more deeply than
other types of radiation.
Uses of Gamma Rays:
• Sterilize medical equipment
• Sterilize food (irradiated food)
• Used as tracers in medicine
• In oncology, to kill cancerous cells
• Gamma-Ray Astronomy
• Food Sterilization
• Sterilization of Medical Equipment
• Radio Therapy
• Tracers in Medicine
• Irradiation of Art Objects
• Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy
• Measure Water and Oil Fluid Level in Industries
• Alter Properties of Precious Stones
• Gamma-knife Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Mineral Exploration
SAMURAI
サ Advantages and Disadvantages of Gamma Ray

Advantages:

ム •Low cost
•Easily available resources
•Mobile sources

ラ
•High resolution
•High sensitivity and specificity
•Possibility of early cancer detection

イ Disadvantages:
•Can kill regular cells
•Unsafe to use on pregnant women
•Can cause nausea, hair loss, skin burns and
diminished organ function
•Exposure to lethal dose will usually result in
death within two months
Sources of Gamma Rays
Gamma rays have the smallest wavelengths
and the most energy of any wave in the
electromagnetic spectrum. They are produced
by the hottest and most energetic objects in the
universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars,
supernova explosions, and regions around
black holes. On Earth, gamma waves are
generated by nuclear explosions, lightning,
and the less dramatic activity of radioactive
decay.
 Facts about Gamma Rays
.

As gamma rays pass through,

they collide with electrons in
the crystal. This process is
Gamma-ray wavelengths are
called Compton scattering,
so short that they can pass wherein a gamma ray strikes an
through the space within the electron and loses energy,
atoms of a detector.. similar to what happens when a
cue ball strikes an eight ball.
Gamma-ray detectors These collisions create charged
particles that can be detected by
typically contain densely
the sensor.
packed crystal blocks.
Gamma Ray
Thank you for your attention!