Everyone must have heard of three types of radioactive radiation - alpha, beta and gamma. All of them arise in the process of radioactive decay of matter, and they have both common properties and differences. The last type of radiation bears the greatest danger. What is it?
Nature of radioactive decay
To understand the properties of gamma decay in more detail, it is necessary to consider the nature of ionizing radiation. This definition means that the energy of this type of radiation is very high - when it hits another atom, called the "target atom", it knocks out an electron moving in its orbit. In this case, the target atom becomes a positively charged ion (therefore, the radiation was called ionizing). This radiation differs from ultraviolet or infrared in high energy.
In general, alpha, beta and gamma decays have common properties. You can think of an atom as a small poppy seed. Then the orbit of the electrons will be a soap bubble around it. In alpha, beta and gamma decay, a tiny particle flies out of this grain. In this case, the charge of the nucleus changes, which means that a new chemical element has been formed. A speck of dust rushes at a gigantic speed and crashes intoelectron shell of the target atom. Having lost an electron, the target atom becomes a positively charged ion. However, the chemical element remains the same, because the nucleus of the target atom remains the same. Ionization is a process of chemical nature, almost the same process occurs during the interaction of certain metals that dissolve in acids.
Where else does γ-decay occur?
But ionizing radiation occurs not only in radioactive decay. They also occur in atomic explosions and in nuclear reactors. On the Sun and other stars, as well as in the hydrogen bomb, light nuclei are synthesized, accompanied by ionizing radiation. This process also occurs in X-ray equipment and particle accelerators. The main property that alpha, beta, gamma decays have is the highest ionization energy.
And the differences between these three types of radiation are determined by their nature. Radiation was discovered at the end of the 19th century. Then no one knew what this phenomenon was. Therefore, the three types of radiation were named by the letters of the Latin alphabet. Gamma radiation was discovered in 1910 by a scientist named Henry Gregg. Gamma decay has the same nature as sunlight, infrared rays, radio waves. By their properties, γ-rays are photon radiation, but the energy of the photons contained in them is very high. In other words, it is radiation with a very short wavelength.
Propertiesgamma rays
This radiation is extremely easy to penetrate through any obstacles. The denser the material stands in its way, the better it delays it. Most often, lead or concrete structures are used for this purpose. In the air, γ-rays easily overcome tens and even thousands of meters.
Gamma decay is very dangerous for humans. When exposed to it, the skin and internal organs can be damaged. Beta radiation can be compared to shooting small bullets, and gamma radiation can be compared to shooting needles. During a nuclear flare, in addition to gamma radiation, the formation of neutron fluxes also occurs. Gamma rays hit the Earth along with cosmic rays. In addition to them, it carries protons and other particles to Earth.
The effect of gamma rays on living organisms
If we compare alpha, beta and gamma decays, the latter will be the most dangerous for living organisms. The propagation speed of this type of radiation is equal to the speed of light. It is because of its high speed that it quickly enters living cells, causing their destruction. How?
On the way, γ-radiation leaves a large number of ionized atoms, which in turn ionize a new portion of atoms. Cells that have been exposed to powerful gamma radiation change at various levels of their structure. Transformed, they begin to decompose and poison the body. And the very last stage is the appearance of defective cells that can no longer perform their functions normally.
In humans, different organs havevarying degrees of sensitivity to gamma radiation. The consequences depend on the received dose of ionizing radiation. As a result of this, various physical processes can occur in the body, biochemistry can be disturbed. The most vulnerable are the hematopoietic organs, the lymphatic and digestive systems, as well as DNA structures. This exposure is dangerous for humans and the fact that the radiation accumulates in the body. It also has a latency period.
Gamma decay formula
To calculate the energy of gamma rays, you can use the following formula:
E=hv=hc/λ
In this formula, h is Planck's constant, v is the frequency of a quantum of electromagnetic energy, c is the speed of light, λ is the wavelength.
