Gamma Rays“Don’t worry, they won’t sting you!”

Emma BergerKatie Cohen

Maeve Sockwell

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

Measurements• Gamma rays have wavelengths between10-8 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

Applications of Gamma Rays

• Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries

• Irradiate food used as preservatives

• Study stars, galaxies and other celestial bodies

Applications Continued• Look for weaknesses and damage in cars, airplanes, and heavy machinery

• Used in telescopes to produce detailed pictures of outer space

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

This is what a gamma ray looks like in the eyes of

a human:

Did you see it?

Are Gamma Rays Visible?• Cannot be seen by humans… you’re 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

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

BibliographyDaniel, Sharan L. Stanford Report. Rep. Stanford University News, 25 Oct. 2005. Web. 9 May 2010. <http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/october26/abrams-102605.html>.

"The Electromagnetic Spectrum." Gondar Design Science. 10 Nov. 2006. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://www.purchon.com/physics/electromagnetic.htm#gamma>

"Gamma-rays." NASA Science. 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 09 May 2010. <http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/gamma.html>.

BibliographyNagel, Rob. "Gamma Rays." Science Resource Center. Gale

Group, 2007. Web. 7 Sept. 2010. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?locID=mlin_m_nnorth&bi=SU&bt=gamma+rays&c=2&t=1&ste=21&docNum=CV2644300477&st=b&tc=15&tf=0#SourceCitation>.

"NOVA Online | Death Star | Tour the Spectrum: Gamma Ray." PBS. Web. 07 May 2010. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/gamma/spec_gamma.html>.

Western, A. “Electromagnetic Radiation.” Technology and Applied Sciences. Marshall Cavendish Digital, 2010. Web. 09 May 2010. <http://www.marshallcavendishdigital.com/articledisplay/25/3723/37774>.

Young, Robyn V. "Gamma Radiation." Science Resource Center. Gale Group, 2006. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=CV2432500315>.

Picture Bibliography• Cancer Cell:

• http://www.healthjockey.com/images/cancer-cell-2.jpg• Electromagnetic Spectrum:

• http://ircamera.as.arizona.edu/NatSci102/NatSci102/images/emspec.gif

• Galaxies:• http://sciencevault.net/ibphysics/astrophysics/pics/

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.png

• Villard:• http://www.hilliontchernobyl.com/Images/Villard1.jpg

THE END!