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Doug1943
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is there some physical limit on the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation? Can there be radiation shorter than gamma rays?
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrumThe limit for long wavelengths is the size of the universe itself, while it is thought that the short wavelength limit is in the vicinity of the Planck length (1.616255(18)×10−35 m)
Practical boundaries arise from technology. We can ask given current technology, what is the highest frequency -- shortest wavelength signal -- human devices can generate? Or that we can detect and at what energy?Note that there are no precisely defined boundaries between the bands of the electromagnetic spectrum; rather they fade into each other like the bands in a rainbow (which is the sub-spectrum of visible light).
This assumes that human measurement is a requirement. I think the OP probably had in mind processes taking place in conditions that are too extreme to allow measurement. This takes us into the sort of situations where String Theory could be tested and beyond and we don't yet have the ability to go there.Klystron said:The continuity of the electromagnetic spectrum may be one of the most beautiful discoveries in physics. From the same source as above:
Practical boundaries arise from technology. We can ask given current technology, what is the highest frequency -- shortest wavelength signal -- human devices can generate? Or that we can detect and at what energy?
Electromagnetic radiation is measured by its wavelength or frequency. Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs of a wave, while frequency is the number of waves that pass a given point in one second.
The shortest wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is the Planck length, which is approximately 1.616 x 10^-35 meters. This is considered the smallest possible unit of length in the universe.
Yes, electromagnetic radiation can be shorter than gamma rays. This is known as "hard" or "high-energy" gamma rays, which have shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than regular gamma rays.
Gamma rays are the highest energy form of electromagnetic radiation and have the shortest wavelengths and highest frequencies. They are typically produced by nuclear reactions or high-energy processes in outer space, such as supernovas.
Shorter electromagnetic radiation has potential applications in fields such as medical imaging, where higher energy radiation can be used to produce clearer images. It can also be used in scientific research to study the properties of matter at a smaller scale.