EMFT III RADIO WAVES

• Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum longer than
infrared light. Radio waves have frequencies as high as 300 GHz to as low as 3 kHz, though some definitions describe waves
above 1 or 3 GHz as microwaves, or include waves of any lower frequency.
• Artificially generated radio waves are used for fixed and mobile radio communication, broadcasting, radar and other
navigation systems, communications satellites, computer networks and innumerable other applications.
• Radio waves are generated by radio transmitters and received by radio receivers. Different frequencies of radio waves have
different propagation characteristics in the Earth's atmosphere; long waves can diffract around obstacles like mountains
and follow the contour of the earth (ground waves), shorter waves can reflect off the ionosphere and return to earth
beyond the horizon (skywaves), while much shorter wavelengths bend or diffract very little and travel on a line of sight,
• Radio waves passing through different environments experience reflection, refraction, polarization, diffraction, and
absorption. Different frequencies experience different combinations of these phenomena in the Earth's atmosphere,
making certain radio bands more useful for specific purposes than others.
• APPLICATION
• In radio communication systems, information is carried across space using radio waves. At the sending end, the information
to be sent, in the form of a time-varying electrical signal, is applied to a radio transmitter.
• The information signal can be an audio signal representing sound from a microphone, a video signal representing moving
images from a video camera, or a digital signal representing data from a computer.
EMFT III
• Radio waves are nonionizing radiation, which means they do not have enough energy to separate electrons from atoms or
molecules, ionizing them, or break chemical bonds, causing chemical reactions or DNA damage.
EMFT III
EMFT III MICROWAVE

• Microwaves are A form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from one meter to one millimeter; with
frequencies between 300 mhz (100 cm) and 300 ghz (0.1 cm).
• Frequencies in the microwave range are often referred to by their ieee radar band designations: s, c, x, ku, k, or ka band, or
by similar nato or eu designations.
• Microwaves travel by line-of-sight; unlike lower frequency radio waves they do not diffract around hills, follow the earth's
surface as ground waves, or reflect from the ionosphere, so terrestrial microwave communication links are limited by the
visual horizon to about 40 miles (64 km). At the high end of the band they are absorbed by gases in the atmosphere,
limiting practical communication distances to around a kilometer.
• They are used for point-to-point communication links, wireless networks, microwave radio relay networks, radar, satellite
and spacecraft communication, medical diathermy and cancer treatment, remote sensing, radio astronomy, particle
accelerators, spectroscopy, industrial heating, collision avoidance systems, garage door openers and keyless entry systems,
and for cooking food in microwave ovens.
PROPAGATION
• Microwaves travel solely by line-of-sight paths; unlike lower frequency radio waves, they do not travel as ground waves
which follow the contour of the earth, or reflect off the ionosphere (skywaves).[
• Therefore, on the surface of the earth, microwave communication links are limited by the visual horizon to about 30–40
miles (48–64 km).
EMFT III
• Microwaves are absorbed by moisture in the atmosphere, and the attenuation increases with frequency, becoming a
significant factor (rain fade) at the high end of the band. Beginning at about 40 ghz, atmospheric gases also begin to absorb
microwaves.

Waveguide is used to
carry microwaves.
Example of waveguides
and a diplexer in an air
traffic control radar
EMFT III
• Their short wavelength allows narrow beams of microwaves to be produced by conveniently small high gain antennas from
a half meter to 5 meters in diameter.
• Detection is done by Parabolic ("dish") antennas are the most widely used directive antennas at microwave frequencies, but horn
antennas, slot antennas and dielectric lens antennas are also used.
• Flat microstrip antennas are being increasingly used in consumer devices. Another directive antenna practical at microwave frequencies is
the phased array, a computer-controlled array of antennas which produces a beam which can be electronically steered in different
directions.
• Where omnidirectional antennas are required, for example in wireless devices and wi-fi routers for wireless lans, small monopoles, such as
the inverted F antenna (PIFA) in cell phones, dipole, or patch antennas are used.
EMFT III
• SOURCES OF MICROWAVE
• High-power microwave sources use specialized vacuum tubes to generate microwaves. These devices operate on different
principles from low-frequency vacuum tubes, using the ballistic motion of electrons in a vacuum under the influence of
controlling electric or magnetic fields, and include the magnetron (used in microwave ovens), klystron, traveling-wave tube
(TWT), and gyrotron.
• Low-power microwave sources use solid-state devices such as the field-effect transistor (at least at lower frequencies),
tunnel diodes, gunn diodes, and IMPATT diodes.[7] low-power sources are available as benchtop instruments, rackmount
instruments, embeddable modules and in card-level formats

Disassembled radar speed gun. The grey assembly

Cutaway view inside a cavity magnetron as
used in a microwave oven (left). attached to the end of the copper-colored horn
antenna is the Gunn diode which generates the
microwaves.
EMFT III
MICROWAVE USES
• Point-to-point (telecom.munications), microwave transmission, and satellite communications

• Radar is a radiolocation technique in which a beam of radio waves emitted by a transmitter bounces off an object and
returns to a receiver, allowing the location, range, speed, and other characteristics of the object to be determined. The
short wavelength of microwaves causes large reflections from objects the size of motor vehicles, ships and aircraft.
EMFT III
• RADIO ASTRONOMY Microwaves emitted by astronomical radio sources; planets, stars, galaxies, and nebulas are studied in
radio astronomy with large dish antennas called radio telescopes.
• HEATING AND POWER APPLICATION
• A microwave oven passes microwave radiation at a frequency near 2.45 GHz (12 cm) through food, causing dielectric
heating primarily by absorption of the energy in water.

Microwaves are widely used for heating in

industrial processes. A microwave tunnel oven
for softening plastic rods prior to extrusion.
EMFT III
• SPECTROSCOPY
• Microwave radiation is used in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR or ESR) spectroscopy, typically in the x-band region
(~9 ghz) in conjunction typically with magnetic fields of 0.3 t. This technique provides information on unpaired electrons in
chemical systems, such as free radicals or transition metal ions such as cu(ii).
Microwave frequency bands
Designation Frequency range Wavelength range Typical uses

military telemetry, GPS,

L band 1 to 2 GHz 15 cm to 30 cm mobile phones (GSM),
amateur radio

weather radar, surface ship

radar, and some
communications satellites
(microwave ovens,
microwave
S band 2 to 4 GHz 7.5 cm to 15 cm
devices/communications,
radio astronomy, mobile
phones, wireless LAN,
Bluetooth, ZigBee, GPS,
amateur radio)

long-distance radio
C band 4 to 8 GHz 3.75 cm to 7.5 cm
telecommunications

satellite communications,
radar, terrestrial broadband,
X band 8 to 12 GHz 25 mm to 37.5 mm space communications,
amateur radio, molecular
rotational spectroscopy

satellite communications,
Ku band 12 to 18 GHz 16.7 mm to 25 mm molecular rotational
spectroscopy
EMFT III
• Q
radar, satellite
communications, astronomical
K band 18 to 26.5 GHz 11.3 mm to 16.7 mm observations, automotive
radar, molecular rotational
spectroscopy

satellite communications,
Ka band 26.5 to 40 GHz 5.0 mm to 11.3 mm molecular rotational
spectroscopy

satellite communications,
terrestrial microwave
communications, radio
Q band 33 to 50 GHz 6.0 mm to 9.0 mm
astronomy, automotive radar,
molecular rotational
spectroscopy

U band 40 to 60 GHz 5.0 mm to 7.5 mm

millimeter wave radar

research, molecular rotational
V band 50 to 75 GHz 4.0 mm to 6.0 mm
spectroscopy and other kinds
of scientific research
EMFT III

satellite communications,
millimeter-wave radar
research, military radar
W band 75 to 110 GHz 2.7 mm to 4.0 mm targeting and tracking
applications, and some non-
military applications,
automotive radar

SHF transmissions: Radio

astronomy, microwave
devices/communications,
wireless LAN, most modern
F band 90 to 140 GHz 2.1 mm to 3.3 mm
radars, communications
satellites, satellite television
broadcasting, DBS, amateur
radio

EHF transmissions: Radio

astronomy, high-frequency
microwave radio relay,
D band 110 to 170 GHz 1.8 mm to 2.7 mm microwave remote sensing,
amateur radio, directed-
energy weapon, millimeter
wave scanner
EMFT III INFRARED RADIATION
• Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with longer wavelengths than those of visible light, and is therefore
invisible to the human eye.
• It is sometimes called infrared light. It extends from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at 700 nanometers
(frequency 430 THz), to 1 millimeter (300 GHz although specially pulsed lasers can allow humans to detect IR radiation up
to 1050 nm.

A pseudo color image of

two people taken in long-
wavelength infrared (body-
temperature thermal) light.

• Infrared radiation is emitted or absorbed by molecules when they change their rotational-vibrational movements. It excites
vibrational modes in a molecule through a change in the dipole moment, making it a useful frequency range for study of
these energy states for molecules of the proper symmetry
EMFT III
• APPLICATION
1. NIGHT VISION
• Infrared is used in night vision equipment when there is insufficient visible light to see. Night vision devices operate through
a process involving the conversion of ambient light photons into electrons that are then amplified by a chemical and
electrical process and then converted back into visible light.
• Infrared light sources can be used to augment the available ambient light for conversion by night vision devices, increasing
in-the-dark visibility without actually using a visible light source
• The use of infrared light and night vision devices should not be confused with thermal imaging, which creates images based
on differences in surface temperature by detecting infrared radiation (heat) that emanates from objects and their
surrounding environment.
EMFT III
• a

the camera illuminates the scene at infrared wavelengths invisible to the human eye. Despite a
dark back-lit scene, active-infrared night vision delivers identifying details, as seen on the
display monitor.
EMFT III
2. Thermography
• Infrared radiation can be used to remotely determine the temperature of objects (if the emissivity is known). This is termed
Thermography (thermal imaging) is mainly used in military and industrial applications but the technology is reaching the
public market in the form of infrared cameras on cars due to the massively reduced production costs. Thermography, or in
the case of very hot objects in the NIR or visible it is termed pyrometry.
3. Hyperspectral imaging
• A hyperspectral image is a "picture" containing continuous spectrum through a wide spectral range at each pixel.
Hyperspectral imaging is gaining importance in the field of applied spectroscopy particularly with NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and
LWIR spectral regions. Typical applications include biological, mineralogical, defence, and industrial measurements.
4. Heating
• Infrared radiation can be used as a deliberate heating source. For example, it is used in infrared saunas to heat the
occupants. It may also be used in other heating applications, such as to remove ice from the wings of aircraft (de-icing)
• Infrared can be used in cooking and heating food as it predominantly heats the opaque, absorbent objects, rather than the
air around them.
• Infrared heating is also becoming more popular in industrial manufacturing processes, e.g. curing of coatings, forming of
plastics, annealing, plastic welding, and print drying. In these applications, infrared heaters replace convection ovens and
contact heating.
EMFT III
5. Cooling
• A variety of technologies or proposed technologies take advantage of infrared emissions to cool buildings or other systems.
The LWIR (8–15 µm) region is especially useful since some radiation at these wavelengths can escape into space through
the atmosphere.
6. Communication
• IR data transmission is also employed in short-range communication among computer peripherals and personal digital
assistants. These devices usually conform to standards published by IrDA, the Infrared Data Association. Remote controls
and IrDA devices use infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to emit infrared radiation that is focused by a plastic lens into a
narrow beam
• The beam is modulated, i.e. switched on and off, to prevent interference from other sources of infrared (like sunlight or
artificial lighting). The receiver uses a silicon photodiode to convert the infrared radiation to an electric current
• Free space optical communication using infrared lasers can be a relatively inexpensive way to install a communications link
in an urban area operating at up to 4 gigabit/s, compared to the cost of burying fiber optic cable, except for the radiation
damage. "Since the eye cannot detect IR, blinking or closing the eyes to help prevent or reduce damage may not happen.
• Infrared lasers are used to provide the light for optical fiber communications systems. Infrared light with a wavelength
around 1,330 nm (least dispersion) or 1,550 nm (best transmission) are the best choices for standard silica fibers.
EMFT III
7.Tracking
• Infrared tracking, also known as infrared homing, refers to a passive missile guidance system, which uses the emission from
a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track it.
• Missiles that use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers", since infrared (IR) is just below the visible
spectrum of light in frequency and is radiated strongly by hot bodies.
8. METEOROLOGY
• Weather satellites equipped with scanning radiometers produce thermal or infrared images, which can then enable a
trained analyst to determine cloud heights and types, to calculate land and surface water temperatures, and to locate
ocean surface features. The scanning is typically in the range 10.3–12.5 µm (IR4 and IR5
• High, cold ice clouds such as Cirrus or Cumulonimbus show up bright white, lower warmer clouds such as Stratus or
Stratocumulus show up as grey with intermediate clouds shaded accordingly.
• Hot land surfaces will show up as dark-grey or black. One disadvantage of infrared imagery is that low cloud such as stratus
or fog can be a similar temperature to the surrounding land or sea surface and does not show up.
EMFT III VISIBLE LIGHT
• Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The word usually refers to
visible light but it contains the three other spectrums namely Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the
range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), between the infrared (with longer wavelengths) and the ultraviolet (with shorter
wavelengths)
• This wavelength means a frequency range of roughly 430–750 terahertz (THz). The main source of light on Earth is the Sun.
Sunlight provides the energy that green plants use to create sugars mostly in the form of starches which release energy into
the living things that digest them.
• Historically, another important source of light for humans has been fire, from ancient campfires to modern kerosene lamps.
With the development of electric lights and power systems,
• Some species of animals generate their own light, a process called bioluminescence. For example, fireflies use light to locate
mates, and vampire squids use it to hide themselves from prey.

A city illuminated by
colorful artificial lighting
EMFT III ULTRA VIOLET
• Ultraviolet (UV) is an electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 10 nm to 400 nm, shorter than that of visible light
but longer than x-rays. UV radiation constitutes about 10% of the total light output of the sun, and is thus present in
sunlight.
• It is also produced by electric arcs and specialized lights, such as mercury-vapor lamps, tanning lamps, and black lights.
• Although it's not considered an ionizing radiation because its photons lack the energy to ionize atoms, long-wavelength
ultraviolet radiation can cause chemical reactions and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce.

• Consequently, the chemical and biological effects of UV are greater than simple heating effects, and many practical
applications of UV radiation derive from its interactions with organic molecules.
EMFT III
• Suntan, freckling and sunburn are familiar effects of over-exposure, along with higher risk of skin cancer. Living things on
dry land would be severely damaged by ultraviolet radiation from the sun if most of it were not filtered out by the earth's
atmosphere.
SOURCES
1.Black lights
• A black light lamp emits long-wave UVA radiation and little visible light. Fluorescent black light lamps work similarly to other
fluorescent lamps, but use a phosphor on the inner tube surface which emits UVA radiation instead of visible light. Some
lamps use a deep-bluish-purple Wood's glass optical filter that blocks almost all visible light with wavelengths longer than
400 nanometres.
• Others use plain glass instead of the more expensive Wood's glass, so they appear light-blue to the eye when operating. A
black light may also be formed, very inefficiently,
EMFT III
2. SHORT-WAVE ULTRAVIOLET LAMPS

• A shortwave UV lamp can be made using a fluorescent lamp tube with no phosphor coating. These lamps emit ultraviolet
light with two peaks in the UVC band at 253.7 nm and 185 nm due to the mercury within the lamp, as well as some visible
light.
3. GAS-DISCHARGE LAMPS

Commercial germicidal lamp in butcher shop

Specialized UV gas-discharge lamps containing different gases produce UV radiation at particular spectral lines for scientific
purposes. Argon and deuterium arc lamps are often used as stable sources, either windowless or with various windows such as
magnesium fluoride.[29] These are often the emitting sources in UV spectroscopy equipment for chemical analysis.
EMFT III
HEALTH BENEFITS OF UV
• UV light causes the body to produce vitamin D, which is essential for life.
• Skin conditions-UV rays also treat certain skin conditions. Modern phototherapy has been used to successfully treat
psoriasis, eczema, jaundice, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis
• Melanin-The amount of the brown pigment melanin in the skin increases after exposure to UV radiation at moderate levels
depending on skin type; this is commonly known as a sun tan.
HEALTH RISVK OF UV
• Ultraviolet light and cancer .In humans, excessive exposure to UV radiation can result in acute and chronic harmful effects
on the eye's dioptric system and retina.
• Skin damage- Overexposure to UVB radiation not only can cause sunburn but also some forms of skin cancer.
• Eye damage- The eye is most sensitive to damage by UV in the lower UVC band at 265–275 nm. Radiation of this
wavelength is almost absent from sunlight but is found in welder's arc lights and other artificial sources.
EMFT III
APPLICATIONS
Photography
• Photographic film responds to ultraviolet radiation but the glass lenses of cameras usually block radiation shorter than 350
nm. Slightly yellow UV-blocking filters are often used for outdoor photography to prevent unwanted bluing and
overexposure by UV rays.
Electrical and electronics industry
• Corona discharge on electrical apparatus can be detected by its ultraviolet emissions. Corona causes degradation of
electrical insulation and emission of ozone and nitrogen oxide
• EPROMs (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) are erased by exposure to UV radiation. These modules have a
transparent (quartz) window on the top of the chip that allows the UV radiation in.

Aurora at Jupiter's north

pole as seen in ultraviolet
light by the Hubble Space
Telescope.
EMFT III
Fluorescent dye uses
• To help prevent counterfeiting of currency, or forgery of important documents such as driver's licenses and passports, the
paper may include a UV watermark or fluorescent multicolour fibbers that are visible under ultraviolet light. Postage stamps
are tagged with a phosphor that glows under UV rays to permit automatic detection of the stamp and facing of the letter.

A bird appears on many Visa credit cards when they are held
under a UV light source
Analytic uses
• Forensics-UV is an investigative tool at the crime scene helpful in locating and identifying bodily fluids such as semen,
blood, and saliva. For example, ejaculated fluids or saliva can be detected by high-power UV sources, irrespective of the
structure or colour of the surface the fluid is deposited upon.
• Sanitary compliance-Ultraviolet aids in the detection of organic material deposits that remain on surfaces where periodic
cleaning and sanitizing may not have been properly accomplished. It is used in the hotel industry, manufacturing, and other
industries where levels of cleanliness or contamination are inspected
EMFT III
• Enhancing contrast of ink-The technique involves taking pictures of the illegible document using different filters in the
infrared or ultraviolet range, finely tuned to capture certain wavelengths of light. Thus, the optimum spectral portion can be
found for distinguishing ink from paper on the papyrus surface.
MATERIAL SCIENCE USES
• Fire detection-In general, ultraviolet detectors use either a solid-state device, such as one based on silicon carbide or
aluminium nitride, or a gas-filled tube as the sensing element. UV detectors that are sensitive to UV in any part of the
spectrum respond to irradiation by sunlight and artificial light
• Photolithography-Ultraviolet radiation is used for very fine resolution photolithography, a procedure wherein a chemical
called a photoresist is exposed to UV radiation that has passed through a mask. The exposure causes chemical reactions to
occur in the photoresist. After removal of unwanted photoresist, a pattern determined by the mask remains on the sample.
Steps may then be taken to "etch" away, deposit on or otherwise modify areas of the sample where no photoresist remains.
• Polymers-Electronic components that require clear transparency for light to exit or enter (photovoltaic panels and sensors)
can be potted using acrylic resins that are cured using UV energy. The advantages are low VOC emissions and rapid curing.
EMFT III
BIOLOGY-RELATED USES
• Air purification-using a catalytic chemical reaction from titanium dioxide and UVC exposure, oxidation of organic matter
converts pathogens, pollens, and mold spores into harmless inert by-products. The cleansing mechanism of UV is a
photochemical process.
• Sterilization and disinfection-Ultraviolet lamps are used to sterilize workspaces and tools used in biology laboratories and
medical facilities. Disinfection using UV radiation is commonly used in wastewater treatment applications and is finding
an increased usage in municipal drinking water treatment. Many bottlers of spring water use UV disinfection equipment
to sterilize their water. Solar water disinfection[106] has been researched for cheaply treating contaminated water using
natural sunlight.

A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge

tube floods the inside of a hood with
shortwave
EMFT III
BIOLOGICAL
• Some animals, including birds, reptiles, and insects such as bees, can see near-ultraviolet wavelengths. Many fruits, flowers,
and seeds stand out more strongly from the background in ultraviolet wavelengths as compared to human color vision.
• Scorpions glow or take on a yellow to green color under UV illumination, thus assisting in the control of these arachnids.
• Many birds have patterns in their plumage that are invisible at usual wavelengths but observable in ultraviolet, and the
urine and other secretions of some animals, including dogs, cats, and human beings, are much easier to spot with
ultraviolet.
• Therapy-Ultraviolet radiation is helpful in the treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis and vitiligo. Exposure to UVA,
while the skin is hyper-photosensitive.
• Herpetology-Reptiles need UVB for biosynthesis of vitamin D, and other metabolic processes. Specifically cholecalciferol
(vitamin D3), which is needed to for basic cellular / neural functioning as well as the utilization calcium for bone and egg
production.
EMFT III –X-RAY RADIATION
• X-Rays make up x-radiation, a form of electromagnetic radiation.
• Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30
petahertz to 30 exahertz (3×1016 Hz to 3×1019 Hz) and energies in the range 100 eV to 100 keV
• X-ray wavelengths are shorter than those of UV rays and typically longer than those of gamma rays. In many languages, X-
radiation is referred to with terms meaning Röntgen radiation.
• X-rays can be generated by an X-ray tube, a vacuum tube that uses a high voltage to accelerate the electrons released by a
hot cathode to a high velocity. The high velocity electrons collide with a metal target, the anode, creating the X-rays.
• X-rays can also be produced by fast protons or other positive ions. The proton-induced X-ray emission or particle-induced X-
ray emission is widely used as an analytical procedure.
• They are detected by Imaging detectors such as those used for radiography which were originally based on photographic
plates and later photographic film, but are now mostly replaced by various digital detector types such as image plates and
flat panel detectors.
EMFT III
USES.
• Projectional Radiographs-Projectional radiographs are useful in the detection of pathology of the skeletal system as well as
for detecting some disease processes in soft tissue. Some notable examples are the very common chest X-ray, which can be
used to identify lung diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer, or pulmonary edema, and the abdominal x-ray, which can
detect bowel (or intestinal) obstruction.
• Computed tomography-Computed tomography (CT scanning) is a medical imaging modality where tomographic images or
slices of specific areas of the body are obtained from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken in different
directions
EMFT III
• Authentication and quality control, X-ray is used for authentication and quality control of packaged items.

• Paintings are often X-rayed to reveal underdrawings and pentimenti, alterations in the course of painting or by later
restorers. Many pigments such as lead white show well in radiographs.
• Air port luggage scanners use x-rays for inspecting the interior of luggage for security threats before loading on aircraft.
• X-ray art and fine art photography, artistic use of X-rays, for example the works by Stane Jagodič

X-ray fine art photography of

needlefish by Peter Dazeley
EMFT III – GAMMA RAYS
• 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.
• Gamma rays are produced during gamma decay, which normally occurs after other forms of decay occur, such as alpha or
beta decay. An excited nucleus can decay by the emission of α Or β particle. The daughter nucleus that results is usually left
in an excited state. It can then decay to a lower energy state by emitting a gamma ray photon, in a process called gamma
decay. −
60 60 −
27 𝐶𝑜 → 28𝑁𝑖 + 𝑒 + 𝑣𝑒 + 𝛾 + 1.17𝑀𝑒𝑉

• Other sources are lightning strikes and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, which produce high energy emissions from natural
high-energy voltages. Gamma rays are produced by a number of astronomical processes in which very high-energy
electrons are produced.
• Gamma rays are produced in many processes of particle physics. Typically, gamma rays are the products of neutral systems
which decay through electromagnetic interactions (rather than a weak or strong interaction).
• For example, in an electron–positron annihilation, the usual products are two gamma ray photons. If the annihilating
electron and positron are at rest, each of the resulting gamma rays has an energy of ~ 511 keV and frequency of ~
1.24×1020 Hz.
EMFT III
• Cosmic rays-Extraterrestrial, high energy gamma rays include the gamma ray background produced when cosmic rays
(either high speed electrons or protons) collide with ordinary matter, producing pair-production gamma rays at 511 keV.
Alternatively, bremsstrahlung are produced at energies of tens of MeV or more when cosmic ray electrons interact with
nuclei of sufficiently high atomic number.
• Pulsars and magnetars- The gamma ray sky (see illustration at right) is dominated by the more common and longer-term
production of gamma rays that emanate from pulsars within the Milky Way. Sources from the rest of the sky are mostly
quasars. Pulsars are thought to be neutron stars with magnetic fields that produce focused beams of radiation, and are far
less energetic
USES
• Gamma-induced molecular changes can also be used to alter the properties of semi-precious stones, and is often used to
change white topaz into blue topaz.
• Non-contact industrial sensors commonly use sources of gamma radiation in refining, mining, chemicals, food, soaps and
detergents, and pulp and paper industries, for the measurement of levels, density, and thicknesses. Typically, these use Co-
60 or Cs-137 isotopes as the radiation source.
• Gamma radiation is often used to kill living organisms, in a process called irradiation. Applications of this include the
sterilization of medical equipment (as an alternative to autoclaves or chemical means), the removal of decay-causing
bacteria from many foods and the prevention of the sprouting of fruit and vegetables to maintain freshness and flavor.
EMFT III
• Despite their cancer-causing properties, gamma rays are also used to treat some types of cancer, since the rays also kill
cancer cells. In the procedure called gamma-knife surgery, multiple concentrated beams of gamma rays are directed to the
growth in order to kill the cancerous cells. The beams are aimed from different angles to concentrate the radiation on the
growth while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.
• Gamma rays are also used for diagnostic purposes in nuclear medicine in imaging techniques. A number of different
gamma-emitting radioisotopes are used. For example, in a PET scan a radiolabeled sugar called fludeoxyglucose emits
positrons that are annihilated by electrons, producing pairs of gamma rays that highlight cancer as the cancer often has a
higher metabolic rate than the surrounding tissues
EMFT III
EMFT III