Can Gamma Radiation Be Focused Using Reflective Materials?

[Neitrino]

Dear PF,

Is is possible to focus somehow gamma radiation? Suppose d'like to intensify gamma rays and I want to focus it... is it possible to do it... ?

Are there any materials that may "reflect" gamma rays.. to use as a "reflector" thus intensifying ...

thank you

 

[Bob S]

1) FELs (free electron lasers) can create focused soft x-ray beams.

2) If you detect one annihilation gamma from positron annihilation, you can "create" (tag) a beam of annihilation gammas 180 degrees away in the opposite direction.

3) Crystal (Bragg) diffraction (actually reflection) off of crystal planes (like quartz 310) from bent crystals can focus specific gamma or x-ray energies in one plane.

4) Bremsstrahlung radiation is peaked in the direction of the incident electron. [at low energies, the radiation pattern is a doughnut ring]

5) Compton scattering of a laser beam off of a high energy electron beam creates a very narrow beam of high energy gammas.

Bob S

 

[Neitrino]

Thank you Bob S for your reply...

If the source is radioactive isotope then I guess only Crystal Bragg diffraction might be applicable . . . correct ?

 

[M Quack]

X-rays or soft gamma rays can be focussed by reflection (Bragg or total reflection at a highly polished surface), Fresnel zone plates, or refractive lenses (the index of refraction is slightly less than 1)

Rosat was an x-ray satelite that used total reflection