T-rays detect more materials more safely than X-rays
Researchers at the U.S. Department of
Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory,
in collaboration with scientists in
Turkey and Japan, have developed a
portable scanning device based on
terrahertz radiation that detects more
materials without the harmful effects
of X-rays.
An excerpt from VNUnet:
Unlike more energetic X-rays, T-rays
do not have sufficient energy
to ‘ionize’ an atom and cause cellular
damage that can lead to radiation
sickness or cancer. But T-rays are
capable of penetrating many common
materials, such as leather, fabric,
cardboard and paper.
T-rays can also penetrate the human
body by almost half a centimetre, and
have already been used by doctors to
detect and treat certain types of
cancers, especially those of the skin
and breast.
T-rays could not be used earlier for
scanning purpose because of certain
physical limitations of semi-
conducting materials. Researchers had
to deploy several techniques to
generate signals of sufficient signal
strength.
The new technology may find
application in several areas,
including security and cancer
detection.
