gamma radiation

British  

noun

1. electromagnetic radiation emitted by atomic nuclei; the wavelength is generally in the range 1 × 10 ^–10 to 2 × 10 ^–13 metres

2. electromagnetic radiation of very short wavelength emitted by any source, esp the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with a wavelength less than about 1 × 10 ^–11 metres

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gamma radiation Cultural  

1. The most energetic radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum; it has the lowest wavelength and the highest frequency in the spectrum. Gamma rays are sent out by some radioactive nuclei. Unlike alpha radiation and beta radiation, gamma rays are not made up of particles, and they have no charge.

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Example Sentences

Astronomers have detected an excess of gamma radiation at the center of the Milky Way, which could be produced when dark matter particles collide and annihilate.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

The water board demanded the cities to submit plans by April to scan these areas for cancer-causing gamma radiation and sample for banned pesticides, including DDT.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024

In the main lab, one volunteer is chopping cabbage before taking it to be measured for gamma radiation, and another is treating water before the sample is tested.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2023

On islands such as Bikini, the average background gamma radiation is double the maximum value stipulated by an agreement between the governments of the Marshall Islands and United States.

From Scientific American • Apr. 4, 2022

“The only thing I can advise, boy, is that if you detect the gamma radiation between yourself and the man, you may as well sit where you are.”

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov