gamma ray
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Gamma rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation with very high frequency and energy, making them more powerful than visible light or X-rays. They matter because their high energy allows them to penetrate materials deeply and can be used in medical treatments and scientific research, though they can also be dangerous to living tissue.
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An emission of a gamma ray (γ) from an atomic nucleus
A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from high-energy interactions like the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei or astronomical events like solar flares. Lower energy gamma radiation overlaps the upper end of X-ray radiation; they are distinguished by their different origins. Gamma ray photons have photon energy at the lower end from 10 eV to 10 eV; ultra-high-energy gamma rays have energies over 10 eV. Paul Villard, a French chemist and physicist, discovered gamma radiation in 1900 while studying radiation emitted by radium. In 1903, Ernest Rutherford named this radiation gamma rays based on their relatively strong penetration of matter; in 1900, he had already named two less penetrating types of decay radiation (discovered by Henri Becquerel) alpha rays and beta rays in ascending order of penetrating power.