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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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.


Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

If the excess gamma radiation turns out not to come from aging stars, it could represent the first concrete evidence that dark matter is real.

From Science Daily Oct. 18, 2025

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

Radiation portal monitors detect gamma radiation and are typically used at airports to scan individuals to ensure they do not have radioactive substances on them.

From BBC Feb. 1, 2023

For example, its scientists have consistently relied upon simulations rather than direct values of background gamma radiation, the simplest of the measurements one can make.

From Scientific American Apr. 4, 2022

The new biotic control of insects is not wholly a matter of electronics and gamma radiation and other products of man’s inventive mind.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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