gammahajoamiset

Gammahajoamiset refers to the process in nuclear physics where an atomic nucleus transitions from an excited state to a lower energy state by emitting a gamma ray. This emission is a form of electromagnetic radiation. The excited state often arises from a previous nuclear reaction, such as alpha decay, beta decay, or a neutron capture. Gamma rays are high-energy photons and are characterized by their specific energy, which is unique to the transition within the nucleus. This energy difference between the initial excited state and the final lower energy state is precisely converted into the energy of the emitted gamma ray. Gamma decay does not change the number of protons or neutrons in the nucleus, so the atomic number and mass number remain the same. The nucleus simply sheds excess energy. The rate at which gamma emission occurs is governed by the half-life of the excited state, which can vary significantly, from fractions of a second to years. This characteristic property makes gamma emission useful in various applications, including medical imaging (like PET scans) and dating ancient artifacts through techniques like radiocarbon dating, where gamma emissions are a detectable byproduct.