Gamma Rays

Gamma Rays are Waves on the electromagnetic Spectrum that have a Wavelength of 10 or Higher and 11 down. Gamma Rays are produced in labs through the process of nuclear collision and also through the artificial Radioactivity that accompanies these interactions. The high energy nuclei needed for the collisions are accelerated by such devices such as the Cyclotron and synchrotron. There are also many uses for Gamma rays in Medicine. Gamma Rays are used in medicine to kill and treat certain types of cancers and tumors. Gamma rays passing through the tissue of the body produce ionization in the tissue. Gamma rays can harm the cells in our body. The rays can also detect brain and Cardiovascular Abnormalities. These are some of the many uses of Gamma Rays in Medicine. Gamma Rays are also Used a great deal in modern day industries. Gamma Rays can be used to examine metallic castings or welds in oil pipelines for weak points. The rays pass through the metal and darken a photographic film at places opposite weak points. In industry, Gamma rays are also used for detecting internal defects in metal castings and in welded structures. Gamma rays are used to kill pesticides and bugs in food. Gamma rays are also used in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs. Gamma rays are often used in the food industry. The radioisotopes preserve foods. Although the rays never come in contact with the food, Beta radiation kills various organisms such as bacteria, yeast, and insects. Gamma rays are sometimes used in science. They are used to detect Beryllium. They also played a very important role in the development of the atomic bomb. Gamma Rays can be very dangerous to use or be in contact with. Gamma rays bombard our bodies constantly. They come from the naturally radioactive materials in rocks and soil. We take some of these materials into our bodies from the air we breath and the water we drink. Gamma rays passing through our bodies produce ionization in the tissue. High levels of gamma Radiation can produce ionization of the tissue and cause skin cancer. There are many ways in which we can protect ourselves from these harmful affects Protection from gamma rays can be obtained Using a sheet of iron that is a 1/2 inch thick. This kind of shielding will block only 50% of 1 million electron volts of Gamma rays. We can also protect ourselves from gamma rays with 4 inches of water. Lead provides the most protection from gamma rays. A 1/4 of an inch absorbs all the gamma ray exposure. Many Gamma rays also come from outer space in a few major bursts the sun produces gamma rays with energies up to one million electron volts. The interaction of high energy electrons, Protons, and Nuclei of the sun, emit the rays. Gamma rays can also come from the other stars in space, Through the creation and death of the stars along with the creation of solar flares. Astronomers have studied gamma rays to gain a better understanding of the astronomical process. Gamma rays are a form of Electromagnetic radiation similar to X-rays. Gamma rays carry millions of electron volts. As gamma rays pass through matter, They lose energy, But at the same time Knock electrons loose from the atom which ionizes them. Uranium and other naturally occurring radioactive elements, which emit alpha and beta particles from their nuclei which transforming into new elements, also emit gamma rays. Long before experiments gamma rays emitted by cosmic sources, scientists had known that the universe should be producing such photons. Hard work by several brilliant scientists had shown that a number of different processes which were occurring in the universe would result in gamma ray emissions. These processes included cosmic ray interactions with interstellar gases, supernova explosions, and interactions of energetic electrons with magnetic fields. In the 1960's we finally developed thew ability to actually detect these emissions and we have been looking at them ever since.