Gamma ray facts for kids

This image shows the entire sky in gamma rays. It was taken by the EGRET instrument on the CGRO spacecraft. Bright spots in the middle are pulsars, and those above and below are likely quasars.

Gamma rays (γ-rays) are powerful waves of energy. They are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes things like radio waves and visible light. Gamma rays have the shortest wavelengths and the most energy.

They were discovered in 1900 by Paul Villard. Ernest Rutherford gave them their name in 1903.

Gamma rays are similar to X-rays, but they are even stronger. Both are made of tiny energy packets called photons. Gamma rays can travel through thicker materials than X-rays. They are also a type of ionizing radiation, which means they can change atoms.

Gamma rays come from the center, or nucleus, of certain atoms. This is different from X-rays, which come from electrons outside the nucleus.

Some types of radioactive atoms produce gamma rays. For example, Cobalt-60 and potassium-40 are two types of atoms that release gamma rays. Cobalt-60 is made in special machines and used in hospitals. Potassium-40 is found naturally in small amounts in all plants and animals.

Gamma Rays in Medicine

Gamma rays can pass through the skin. This ability makes them useful in medicine.

Treating Cancer

Doctors use machines that produce gamma rays. These machines are used in hospitals to treat some types of cancer. The gamma rays can kill cancerous cells. This treatment is called radiation therapy.

Finding Diseases

Doctors also use gamma rays to help find diseases. They can give patients a special medicine that is slightly radioactive. This medicine then emits gamma rays from inside the patient's body. Doctors can measure these gamma rays to find problems or diseases.

Sterilizing Equipment

Hospitals also use gamma rays to sterilize things. This means they use gamma rays to clean equipment. It helps kill germs, just like disinfectants do.

Images for kids

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  This image from NASA shows how X-rays and gamma rays overlap in the electromagnetic spectrum.

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  This is a gamma-ray image of a truck. It shows two people hidden inside, taken by a special scanning system.

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  This is the Moon seen in gamma rays. The image was taken by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. These gamma rays are made when cosmic rays hit the Moon's surface.

See also

In Spanish: Rayos gamma para niños