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Guru
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Gamma Rays: How High is High?

02/06/2007 3:15 PM

Gamma rays have the highest energy and the highest frequency (and the shortest wavelength), in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Is there a theoretical maximum frequency for gamma rays? And what would that be?

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The Engineer
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#1

Re: Gamma Rays: How High is High?

02/06/2007 5:41 PM

Great Question. Here's my guess (and it's probably wrong). Since the Planck Length is the smallest meaningful unit of length:

meter

and the energy of a photon is

E = c·h/λ

where λ is the wavelength

If we assume the smallest wavelength with any meaning is the planck length, then the corresponding energy would be:

E = (c · h)/1.62 x 10-35 m = (1.99 x 10-25 m·J / 1.62 x 10-35 m) = 1.23 x 1010 Joules

Now 1 GeV = 1.6 x 10-10 joules, so 1.23 x 1010 Joules would be 7.6 x 1019 GeV

From a practical standpoint, I don't think any known gamma rays come anywhere close to that (I think 103 GeV is the max detected, but I could be very wrong about that).

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Guru
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#3
In reply to #1

Re: Gamma Rays: How High is High?

02/07/2007 9:56 AM

Thanks.

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#2

Re: Gamma Rays: How High is High?

02/07/2007 4:39 AM
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