gamma rays

     

Gamma rays (enoted as γ) are a form of electromagnetic radiation or light emission of frequencies produced by sub-atomic particle interactions, such as electron-positron annihilation or radioactive decay. Gamma rays are generally characterized as electromagnetic radiation having the highest frequency and energy, and also the shortest wavelength (below about 10 picometer), within the electromagnetic spectrum. Gamma rays consist of high energy photons with energies above about 100 keV. Gamma rays were discovered by Paul Villard, a French chemist and physicist, in 1900, while studying uranium.

Trivia about gamma rays

  • Named for the third Greek letter, they resemble X rays but have shorter wavelengths
  • These electromagnetic beams are particularly intense in the Crab Nebula
  • These rays are emitted by radioactive decay mostly in a range from 50,000 to 60 million electron volts

Found pages about gamma rays