gamma ray
Meaning of gamma ray: Gamma rays are high energy electromagnetic radiation released from atomic nuclei, differing from x-rays mainly in their point of origin.
Definition of gamma ray
A gamma ray is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation released from the nucleus of certain atoms, most often during radioactive decay, when an unstable nucleus releases energy while settling into a more stable configuration. Gamma rays carry more energy and penetrate matter more deeply than many other common forms of radiation.
Although a gamma ray and an x-ray are both high-energy electromagnetic radiation and can overlap somewhat in energy, they originate differently, since an x-ray is produced by interactions involving an atom's electrons rather than its nucleus. This distinction in origin is the primary difference between the two, rather than any fundamental difference in the radiation itself.
In medicine, gamma rays are used in certain imaging techniques that detect radiation emitted from a small amount of radioactive material introduced into the body, as well as in some forms of targeted radiation treatment aimed at destroying abnormal tissue.
Used in a sentence
A gamma camera detected the radioactive tracer's distribution during the imaging study.
Good to know
Gamma rays and x-rays are both high-energy electromagnetic radiation and can be difficult to distinguish by their effects alone, but they are produced through different processes within the atom.
Word origin
Where “gamma ray” comes from
Gamma takes its name from the third letter of the Greek alphabet, following alpha and beta in the historical naming sequence used to classify types of radiation.