gamma ray

American  

noun

Physics.

1. a photon of penetrating electromagnetic radiation gamma radiation emitted from an atomic nucleus.

2. a photon emitted by an electron as a result of internal conversion.

3. electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than approximately one tenth of a nanometer.

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gamma ray Scientific  

1. A stream of high-energy electromagnetic radiation given off by an atomic nucleus undergoing radioactive decay. Because the wavelengths of gamma rays are shorter than those of x-rays, gamma rays have greater energy and penetrating power than x-rays. Gamma rays are emitted by pulsars, quasars, and radio galaxies but cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere.

2. See more at radioactive decay

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Etymology

Origin of gamma ray

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Using rare isotope beams at Michigan State University and highly sensitive gamma ray detectors, the team measured the lifetimes of excited nuclear states with precision on the scale of picoseconds.

From Science Daily

However, it could become detectable at the highest photon energies, specifically in very-high-energy gamma rays.

From Science Daily

Most of that radiation comes in the form of gamma rays and other high-energy particles that are invisible to Webb's infrared instruments.

From Science Daily

The timing was especially telling: the new outflows appeared in the images while NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope was also detecting high-energy gamma rays, directly connecting the shock-powered radiation to those colliding streams.

From Science Daily

Measurements show that this distant supernova closely matches the brightness and spectral features of SN 1998bw, a well known supernova linked to a gamma ray burst that exploded much closer to Earth.

From Science Daily