Gamma radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted in decay of radionuclides. Also called gamma ray and sometimes shortened to gamma (e.g., gamma-emitting radionuclides).

Gamma rays are a form of nuclear radiation that consists of photons emitted by radioactive elements from the nucleus. This high energetic light emission is also produced from subatomic particle interaction, such as electron positron annihilation. Gamma radiation, similar to x-radiation can injure and destroy tissue, especially cell nuclei.
Gamma rays have in general very high frequencies, short wavelengths, are electrically neutral and penetrate matter. The interaction of gamma rays with matter depends on the nature of the absorber as well as the energy of the gamma rays; these interactions determine also the type and amount of shielding needed for radiation protection.

See also Radiation Safety, Lead Equivalence, Lead Apron, Leaded Glove, Glove-Box, Radioactive Decay Law and Radiation Worker.

The gantry is a ring-shaped structure, containing the x-ray tube, collimators, filters, data acquisition system (DAS), associated electronics such as gantry angulation motors, rotational components including slip ring systems and the detector array in a CT or radiation therapy system. The table control, to regulate the gantry tilt and laser (or high intensity) lights are included within, or mounted on the gantry serving as anatomical positioning guides. To scan the patient, the patient table is moved through the gantry aperture.
The rotating arm on which an accelerator head is mounted is also called gantry. This gantry can rotate 360 degrees around its axis.

The gantry aperture is the opening through which the table with the patient moves for the examination. Typical diameters of the gantry range from 50 to 85 cm. The gantry aperture diameters between 70 and 85 cm are useful for biopsy procedures and obese patients. Larger gantry apertures allow for easier handling of the biopsy equipment.
The scanning field of view in which the CT data are acquired is smaller than the gantry aperture diameter.

The gantry tilt is the angle between the vertical plane, and the plane containing the x-ray beam and the detector array. The gantry angulation allows aligning the selected anatomic region with the scanning plane.
A CT gantry can typically be angled up to 30° forward or backward. However, the gantry angulation is determined by the manufacturer and varies among CT systems. In a series of CT scans made with a tilted gantry the anatomy shifts in location from scan to scan.