Re: No wind in my backyard....

[BERNARD L COHEN <blc+@PITT.EDU>]

	When energy is released from any system, the mass of that system

is reduced by E= m c**2 ; this applies to an atom, a nucleus, or a burning

piece of coal or wood (including the gases released). The only reason

energy released from nuclei is thought of that way is because the change

of mass is large enough to be measured, and in fact measuring mass

differences was an early way of determining energy releases in nuclear

processes. The detailed processes for releasing energy have long since

been understood for nuclear processes as well as for atomic processes, and

there is no more reason to think of mass changes in nuclear processes than

in atomic or any other processes.





> >After a part of the mass of a nucleus is converted to energy (via E=mc**2),

> >the gamma ray carries that energy to where ever it eventually interacts.

> >Thus, the gamma ray carries energy from a radioactive atom to another point,

> >just like an alpha particle or beta particle does (which get their energy

> >from E=mc**2, too, by the way).

> >

> >Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation (photons) and carry this energy in

> >exactly the same manner as the x-rays and laser photons which you seem to

> >think are different, except that the energy of a gamma photon is higher.

>

> x-rays are usually result of an electron falling into core orbitals, into nucleus or in bremstrahlung process. No conversion of matter to energy is involved (no E=mc**2 at work here). Some of the electron kinetic energy turns into x-ray which is a spectrum of EM radiation. In this case one can say x-ray is energy transition, or transfer of energy. In gamma production there is not much kinetic energy exchange. It comes mostly from E=mc**2. That is why I said x-rays and gama rays are different. They are different not just because their wavelenght(energy) size but also because of their origin,  never mind that both are EM radiation.

>

> Thank you and Best regards.

>

>

>

>

> Need a new email address that people can remember

> Check out the new EudoraMail at

> http://www.eudoramail.com

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