Table of Contents
How are gamma rays produced?
Gamma rays originate from the settling process of an excited nucleus of a radionuclide after it undergoes radioactive decay whereas X-rays are produced when electrons strike a target or when electrons rearrange within an atom.
How are gamma rays produced simple?
Gamma rays are produced primarily by four different nuclear reactions: fusion, fission, alpha decay and gamma decay. Nuclear fusion is the reaction that powers the sun and stars.
What is gamma radiation made of?
Gamma rays (γ) are weightless packets of energy called photons. Unlike alpha and beta particles, which have both energy and mass, gamma rays are pure energy. Gamma rays are similar to visible light, but have much higher energy. Gamma rays are often emitted along with alpha or beta particles during radioactive decay.
Which is the natural source of gamma rays?
X-rays and gamma rays can come from natural sources, such as radon gas, radioactive elements in the earth, and cosmic rays that hit the earth from outer space. But this type of radiation can also be man-made.
Does the sun produce gamma rays?
Physicists do not think the sun emits any gamma rays from within. (Nuclear fusions in its core do produce them, but they scatter and downgrade to lower-energy light before leaving the sun.) And the signal becomes up to 20 times stronger than predicted for gamma rays with the highest frequencies.
Can gamma rays produce electricity?
Yes, we can convert gamma rays into electrical energy and hence electricity. Research has shown that semi-conductors like Si wafers (technically silicon cells) have been excited using gamma rays to generate an output voltage (or/and current) thereby producing power.
What protects Earth from gamma rays?
Earth’s magnetic shield protects us from the cosmic radiation and is strongest at the equator and weakest near the poles. The magnetic shield diverts most of the radiation around the earth. Earth’s atmosphere shields us from most of the remaining radiation that travels to Earth.
What are the dangers of using gamma rays?
One of the most horrific dangers of gamma rays comes when these strong forms of energy are utilized in large doses. Gamma rays can alter or harm healthy cells in the body. As a result, tumors or cancerous cells may continue to grow. Gamma rays are also the energy which is involved in some of the most tragic accidents.
What are the main uses of gamma rays?
Electromagnetic waves vary in their wavelengths and frequencies.
What do gamma rays do to the human body?
When gamma rays pass through the human body, they ionize the tissue. This method commonly kills cancerous cells, but gamma ray ionization can affect healthy cells. When high levels of gamma rays bombard a body, a resulting dangerous ionization of tissue can cause skin cancer.
Do gamma rays really work?
Gamma-rays are sometimes used to treat cancerous tumors in the body by damaging the DNA of the tumor cells. However, great care must be taken, because gamma-rays can also damage the DNA of surrounding healthy tissue cells.