Electromagnetic radiation: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:17, 15 October 2017

Radiation consisting of excited photons in varying frequencies
Certain categories overlap; boundary between types not strict, and categories are as much from radiative source as from energy level
From least to most generally energetic:
- Non-ionizing
  - Radio
    - Often used for STL communications
    - Ranges <1.24 µeV
  - Microwave
    - Ranges from 1.24 µeV–1.24 meV
  - Infrared
    - Ranges from 1.24 meV-1.7 eV
  - Visible light
    - Ranges from 1.7-3.1 eV
- Ionizing
  - Ultraviolet
    - Ranges from 3.1-120 eV
  - X-ray
    - Divided into soft X-rays (~100 eV-10 keV) and hard X-rays (10+ keV)
    - Usually no more energetic than ~120 keV, but can be produced with energies upwards of 1 MeV; such are known as high-energy x-rays, or HEX-rays
    - HEX-rays distinguished from low-energy gamma radiation by source: charged particles colliding with matter
  - Gamma
    - Generally 125+ keV, but some nuclear decay detected as low as 0.08 keV
    - Low-energy gamma radiation distinguished from HEX-rays by source: produced by the nucleus of an atom, often through radioactive decay
General properties

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 **** Ranges from 3.1-120 eV
 *** X-ray
-**** Divided into soft X-rays (~0.1-10 keV) and hard X-rays (10+ keV)
+**** Divided into soft X-rays (~100 eV-10 keV) and hard X-rays (10+ keV)
 **** Usually no more energetic than ~120 keV, but can be produced with energies upwards of 1 MeV; such are known as high-energy x-rays, or HEX-rays
 **** HEX-rays distinguished from low-energy gamma radiation by source: charged particles colliding with matter