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Sources and Effects of Gamma Rays

Gamma rays are emitted from various cosmic and terrestrial sources, including neutron stars, pulsars, supernova explosions, and lightning. They have applications in medicine, such as in radiation therapy and as tracers, but also pose dangers like ionization damage and potential depletion of the ozone layer. Gamma rays are produced when unstable atomic nuclei disintegrate into stable ones, releasing energy in the process.

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25 views3 pages

Sources and Effects of Gamma Rays

Gamma rays are emitted from various cosmic and terrestrial sources, including neutron stars, pulsars, supernova explosions, and lightning. They have applications in medicine, such as in radiation therapy and as tracers, but also pose dangers like ionization damage and potential depletion of the ozone layer. Gamma rays are produced when unstable atomic nuclei disintegrate into stable ones, releasing energy in the process.

Uploaded by

Vinodh Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Gamma Rays

Sources

1. Neutron star
A dying core of a super-giant star disintegrates and releases energy
as gamma radiation.

2. Pulsars
A rotating dead star in which nuclear reaction takes place, eventually
emitting various radiations in regular intervals, such as gamma
radiation.

3. Supernova explosion
Gamma radiations are formed out of stars that explode due to rapid
nuclear reactions happening within it.

4. Region around black hole


The outermost region of a dead star emits out gamma radiation since
the center region is a blackhole in which not a single radiation can
escape.

5. Lightning
When 2 or more charged clouds clash eachother, the electric field
creates disintegration of the nucleus of the atoms in the air resulting
in the emition of gamma rays.

Examples

1. radioactive decay of naturally-occurring radionuclide


Natural radiation comprises cosmic radiation and the radiation
arising from the decay of naturally occurring radionuclides.

2. lightning (terrestrial gamma-ray flashes)


Lightning storms produce powerful flashes of gamma rays.
3. nuclear explosions
The most immediate effect of a nuclear explosion is an intense burst
of nuclear radiation, primarily gamma rays and neutrons.

4. Mineral Exploration
The gamma-ray detected near the earth's surface are the result of
the natural radioactive decay of the radioactive elements (e.g.,
Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium).

5. Radio Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-
rays, gamma rays, electron beams, or protons, to destroy or damage
cancer cells.

Advantages
1. Sterilize food (irradiated food)
When food is irradiated, it absorbs energy. This absorbed energy kills
the bacteria that can cause food poisoning in a similar way that heat
energy kills bacteria when food is cooked.
2. Used as tracers in medicine
A radioactive tracer is used to investigate inside a patient's body
without surgery. Gamma (and sometimes beta) emitters
are introduced into the body to be used as tracers.
3. Radio Therapy- Treat cancer
At high doses, radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their
growth by damaging their DNA.

Disadvantage
1. Ionization Danges
Gamma rays are high-energy waves that can ionize atoms in its path.
So, the cells exposed to gamma radiations could get damaged and
become cancerous

2. Gamma Ray Bursts-


If a huge and intense gamma ray hits the Earth, our ozone layer would
get depleted causing exposure to more radiation and endangerment to
life forms
Formation

When the unstable nucleus of an atom disintegrates into a stable nucleus it


will release excess energy in the form of a extremely short wavelength
called gamma rays.

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