Physics Asked on December 15, 2020
How can we experimentally measure the wavelength of gamma-rays, say for about 0.7MeV without knowing the exact energy and without measuring energy, i.e. sort of direct measurement.
The direct method is by crystal diffraction.
Here is an article by Kessler et al (1988):
Answered by Pieter on December 15, 2020
This is a long comment, for clarity of terms used:
without knowing the exact energy and without measuring energy,
The term "gamma rays" used as a term describing a classical electromagnetic wave of specific frequency and wavelength is fine.
The term "gamma" is attributed to a photon, a quantum mechanical particle of the standard model, which is a point particle, thus has no wavelength , and has mass zero. Its energy is given by $hν$ where h is the Planck constant and $ν$ is the frequency of the corresponding classical electromagnetic wave when one has a large number of photons. When the energy of a gamma photon is known, then the wavelength of the classical wave it will contribute to if many gammas of that frequency are accumulated ( see this to see how single photons even one at time build a classical interference pattern) can be calculated.
i.e. sort of direct measurement.
Knowing the energy of a single gamma photon is a direct measurement, and the continuity of mathematics between classical electrodynamics, and quantum electrodynamics ensures that is so, so it is a direct measurement of the wavelength too
Of course the experiment linked by Peter is also a direct measurement, from the classical side.
Answered by anna v on December 15, 2020
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