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Show me a movie about Dr. Compton
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The man seen in this image is Dr. Arthur Holly Compton. He won the Nobel
Prize for Physics in 1927 for his work on the scattering of high-energy
photons by electrons - which is something very basic to most
gamma-ray
detection techniques. The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory was named in his
honor after it went into
orbit in April 1991.
It continues to operate today, giving scientists the best look they have ever
gotten of the gamma-ray universe.
So what are gamma-rays and what can they tell us about the cosmos?
Gamma-rays are the most energetic form of
electromagnetic
radiation, with over 10,000 times more energy than
visible light
photons. If you
could see gamma-rays, the night sky would look strange and unfamiliar. The
familiar sights of constantly shining
stars and galaxies
would be replaced by something ever-changing. Your gamma-ray vision would peer
into the hearts of
solar flares,
supernovae,
neutron stars,
black holes, and
active galaxies.
Gamma-ray
astronomy
presents unique opportunities to explore these exotic objects. By exploring
the universe at these high energies, scientists can search for new physics,
testing theories and performing experiments which are not possible in
earth-bound laboratories.
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Show me a movie about gamma-ray astronomy!
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