Webpair production, in physics, the production of a particle-antiparticle pair from the decay of a neutral particle or from a pulse of electromagnetic energy traveling through matter, usually in the vicinity of an atomic nucleus. The most commonly observed pair-production process is the materialization of an electron and a positron from a high-energy photon. In this … WebThe same thing happens in the nucleus: when it rearranges into a lower energy state, it shoots out a high-energy photon known as a gamma ray. Gamma rays are very high energy and are one of the most dangerous sources of radiation because photons can pass through most common shielding materials and cause DNA damage in living tissues.
If radioactivity is so damaging, how come we have enough of it
WebJan 22, 2024 · Radioactive decay is the process in which an unstable nucleus spontaneously loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and radiation. This decay, or loss of energy, results in an atom of one type, called the parent nuclide, transforming to an atom of a different type, named the daughter nuclide. northeast medical centre
How Gamma Decay Works - Stanford University
WebIn gamma decay …includes two other electromagnetic processes, internal conversion and internal pair production. In internal conversion, excess energy in a nucleus is directly transferred to one of its own orbiting electrons, thereby ejecting the electron from the atom. WebAug 5, 2024 · Gamma decay: This is the release of gamma radiation from natural radioisotopes. Usually, gamma decay follows alpha or beta decay where the daughter nucleus is excited and falls to a lower energy level … Natural sources of gamma rays on Earth include gamma decay from naturally occurring radioisotopes such as potassium-40, and also as a secondary radiation from various atmospheric interactions with cosmic ray particles. Some rare terrestrial natural sources that produce gamma rays that are not of a nuclear origin, are lightning strikes and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, which produce hig… northeast medical center humble