How far does a gamma beam go in the atmosphere?

[Gonzolo]

Hi, can someone tell me the extinction coefficient of a gamma ray in the atmosphere? How far does a gamma beam go in the atmosphere before its intensity reduces to half or to 1/e?

 

[mathman]

A long time ago, when I was working, I did calculations like this, but I can't remember the results. However, one thing that is very important is that it the distances you want are very strongly dependent on the gamma ray energy. 10 Mev rays go much further than 1 Mev rays.

 

[ravenprp]

The extinction coefficient of a gamma ray in the atmosphere depends on various factors such as the energy of the gamma ray, the composition of the atmosphere, and the altitude. Generally, the higher the energy of the gamma ray, the lower the extinction coefficient will be. According to research, the average extinction coefficient of a gamma ray in the Earth's atmosphere is about 0.2 per kilometer for a 1 MeV gamma ray.

As for the distance a gamma beam can travel in the atmosphere before its intensity reduces to half or to 1/e, it also depends on the same factors mentioned above. However, it is generally accepted that a gamma beam can travel a few kilometers in the atmosphere before its intensity reduces to half. The exact distance will vary depending on the energy of the gamma ray and the atmospheric conditions.

It should also be noted that the intensity of a gamma beam will not decrease linearly as it travels through the atmosphere. Instead, it will follow an exponential decay curve, where the intensity decreases rapidly at first and then levels off as it travels further. This means that the distance at which the intensity reduces to half or to 1/e will also depend on the initial intensity of the gamma beam.

In summary, the distance a gamma beam can travel in the atmosphere before its intensity reduces to half or to 1/e will vary depending on factors such as the energy of the gamma ray, the composition of the atmosphere, and the initial intensity of the beam. It is important to note that these values are not fixed and can vary in different atmospheric conditions.