Electromagnetic radiation
hideElectromagnetic radiation (sometimes abbreviated EMR) is a ubiquitous phenomenon that takes the form of self-propagating waves in a vacuum or in matter. It consists of electric and magnetic field components which oscillate in phase perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the direction of energy propagation. Electromagnetic radiation is classified into several types according to the frequency of its wave; these types include (in order of increasing frequency and decreasing wavelength): radio waves, microwaves, terahertz radiation, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays. A small and somewhat variable window of frequencies is sensed by the eyes of various organisms; this is what we call the visible spectrum, or light.
EM radiation carries energy and momentum that may be imparted to matter with which it interacts.
For more information about Electromagnetic radiation, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with electromagnetic radiation
Gamma-ray photon race ends in dead heat; Einstein wins this round
Oct 28, 2009 |
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Racing across the universe for the last 7.3 billion years, two gamma-ray photons arrived at NASA's orbiting Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope within nine-tenths of a second of one another. The dead-heat finish ...
Fermi Telescope Caps First Year With Glimpse of Space-Time (w/ Video)
Oct 28, 2009 |
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During its first year of operations, NASA's Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope mapped the extreme sky with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity. It captured more than one thousand discrete sources of gamma ...
0.2 second test for explosive liquids
Oct 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Since a failed terrorist attack in 2006, plane passengers have not been able to carry bottles of liquid through security at airports, leaving some parched at the airport and others having ...
Very High Energy Gamma Rays
Sep 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Gamma-rays are the most energetic known form of electromagnetic radiation, with each gamma ray being at least one hundred thousand times more energetic than an optical light photon. The most ...
New Drake equation to quantify habitability?
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Sep 17, 2009 |
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Researchers from the Open University are laying the groundwork for a new equation that could mathematically quantify a habitat's potential for hosting life, in a similar way to how the Drake equation estimates ...
A Theory of Dark Matter
Sep 08, 2009 |
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Among the most astounding, unexpected, and important achievements of the past century (or even more) have been the discoveries of dark matter and dark energy, collectively dubbed the "dark sector."
Penetrating insights: NIST airframe tests help ensure better shielding for flight instruments
Aug 26, 2009 |
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Airline travelers are used to being instructed to turn off computers and cell phones during takeoffs and landings as a precaution against interfering with the plane’s navigational equipment, but outside sources ...
GEMS mission to explore the polarized universe
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Aug 04, 2009 |
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An exciting new astrophysics mission led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will provide a revolutionary window into the universe. Named the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer ...
Testing relativity in the lab
Jul 20, 2009 |
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Even Albert Einstein might have been impressed. His theory of general relativity, which describes how the gravity of a massive object, such as a star, can curve space and time, has been successfully used to ...
First acoustic metamaterial 'superlens' created
Jun 24, 2009 |
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A team of researchers at the University of Illinois has created the world's first acoustic "superlens," an innovation that could have practical implications for high-resolution ultrasound imaging, non-destructive ...
Hubble to receive high-tech James Webb Space Telescope technology
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 08, 2009 |
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Scientists and engineers now creating new technologies for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, have realized they can be used to enhance the Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) in the upcoming servicing ...
High-energy Electrons Could Come from Pulsars -- or Dark Matter
May 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Something in our galactic neighborhood seems to be producing large numbers of high-energy electrons, according to new data gathered by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The electrons could ...
New study resolves mystery of how massive stars form
Jan 15, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Theorists have long wondered how massive stars--up to 120 times the mass of the Sun--can form without blowing away the clouds of gas and dust that feed their growth. But the problem turns ...
