Gamma Rays

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Gamma RaysDont worry, they wont sting you!

• Emma Berger
• Katie Cohen
• Maeve Sockwell

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Discovery of the Gamma Ray

• French physicist Paul Ulrich Villard in 1900
• When experimenting rays emitted during
  radioactive decay of radium
• Observed new radiation with no magnetic field
• Alpha and Beta particles, 2 forms of radiation
  were already discovered. Gamma rays were the
  third discovered
• 1914 Rutherford and Andrade found frequency and
  wavelength

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Measurements

• Gamma rays have wavelengths between
• 10-8 meters and 10-11 meters
• Gamma rays have a frequency between 1018 Hertz
  and 1021 Hertz
• At the end of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
• The most energetic wave

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Applications of Gamma Rays

• Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries
• Irradiate food used as preservatives
• Study stars, galaxies and other celestial bodies

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Applications Continued

• Look for weaknesses and damage in cars,
  airplanes, and heavy machinery
• Used in telescopes to produce detailed pictures
  of outer space

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Harmful Effects on Humans WATCH OUT!

• Causes significant biochemical changes in living
  cells
• Molecules lose electrons and reactive
  intermediates are formed
• Collide with particles in the body mutating them
• Causes radiation sickness and damage to DNA
• Can kill cells

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This is what a gamma ray looks like in the eyes
of a human
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Did you see it?
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Are Gamma Rays Visible?

• Cannot be seen by humans youre not going blind!
• Humans have physical limitations on the
  wavelengths their eyes can perceive
• Can only be seen through a gamma ray telescope
• Not visible to organisms
• If gamma rays were visible, celestial bodies
  could be seen in a different perspective

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Hechos Interesantes!!!

• The Greek letter gamma is used to represent a
  gamma ray
• They are created throughout the universe in
  violent explosions
• On Earth, they originate from the decay of
  radioactive elements
• Modern high-energy x-rays produced by linear
  accelerators usually have higher energy than
  gamma rays produced by radioactive gamma decay

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Bibliography

• Daniel, Sharan L. Stanford Report. Rep. Stanford
  University News, 25 Oct. 2005. Web. 9 May 2010.
  lthttp//news.stanford.edu/news/2005/october26/abra
  ms-102605.htmlgt.
• "The Electromagnetic Spectrum." Gondar Design
  Science. 10 Nov. 2006. Web. 10 May 2010.
  lthttp//www.purchon.com/physics/electromagnetic.ht
  mgammagt
• "Gamma-rays." NASA Science. 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 09
  May 2010. lthttp//science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers
  /ems/gamma.htmlgt.

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Bibliography

• Nagel, Rob. "Gamma Rays." Science Resource
  Center. Gale Group, 2007. Web. 7 Sept. 2010.
  lthttp//galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?locI
  Dmlin_m_nnorthbiSUbtgammaraysc2t1ste21
  docNumCV2644300477stbtc15tf0SourceCitatio
  ngt.
• "NOVA Online Death Star Tour the Spectrum
  Gamma Ray." PBS. Web. 07 May 2010.
  lthttp//www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/gamma/spec_gamma.htm
  lgt.
• Western, A. Electromagnetic Radiation.
  Technology and Applied Sciences. Marshall
  Cavendish Digital, 2010. Web. 09 May 2010.
  lthttp//www.marshallcavendishdigital.com/articledi
  splay/25/3723/37774gt.
• Young, Robyn V. "Gamma Radiation." Science
  Resource Center. Gale Group, 2006. Web. 7 May
  2010. lthttp//galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?
  ste1docNumCV2432500315gt.

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Picture Bibliography

• Cancer Cell
• http//www.healthjockey.com/images/cancer-cell-2.j
  pg
• Electromagnetic Spectrum
• http//ircamera.as.arizona.edu/NatSci102/NatSci102
  /images/emspec.gif
• Galaxies
• http//sciencevault.net/ibphysics/astrophysics/pic
  s/spiralgalaxies.jpg
• Gamma Ray Telescope
• http//www.noao.edu/noao/staff/matheson/telescope/
  gamma-ray_telescope_1_sm.jpg
• Greek Letter Gamma
• http//thesaurus.maths.org/mmkb/media/png/Gamma.pn
  g
• Villard
• http//www.hilliontchernobyl.com/Images/Villard1.j
  pg

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THE END!