Gamma-ray spectrometer
Instrument for measuring gamma radiation / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the more general field of spectroscopy, see Gamma spectroscopy. For the specific 2001 instrument, see Gamma Ray Spectrometer (2001 Mars Odyssey).
A gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) is an instrument for measuring the distribution (or spectrum—see figure) of the intensity of gamma radiation versus the energy of each photon. The study and analysis of gamma-ray spectra for scientific and technical use is called gamma spectroscopy, and gamma-ray spectrometers are the instruments which observe and collect such data. Because the energy of each photon of EM radiation is proportional to its frequency, gamma rays have sufficient energy that they are typically observed by counting individual photons.