In 1900, Paul Villard identified a still more penetrating type of radiation, which Rutherford identified as a fundamentally new type in 1903 and termed gamma rays. Alpha, beta, and gamma are the first three letters of the Greek alphabet.
In 1900, Paul Villard discovered a more powerful form of radiation. In 1903, Ernest Rutherford identified this as a completely new type of radiation and called it gamma rays. Alpha, beta, and gamma are the first three letters of the Greek alphabet.