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!
