Gamma Rays “Don’t worry, they won’t sting you!” Emma Berger Katie 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 between 10-8 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

Bibliography Daniel, 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>.

Bibliography Nagel, 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

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