Re: Cloud chambers

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

We use it * as an x-ray fluorescence source for the Mosely experiment.
For the higher Z atoms I introduced a nearly dead Moessbauer (Co57)
source.  Its gamma is ~ 115 keV.

* not a smoke one, but a much more intense, non exempt, source.
bc

p.s. yes an Am source from a smoke alarm makes a fine source for "our"
giant chamber.

Ludwik Kowalski wrote:

> Am-241 from a, "ionization type" fire alarm
> is a perfect source of alpha particles. The new
> alarm costs $8 at Radio Shack. I removed the
> source from an old alarm; it produces hundreds
> of tracks per square mm in a CR-39 chip after
> an exposure of ~10 seconds. Is it also a good
> source of 59 KeV x-rays? I think so but I do not
> trust my memory? Let us know how useful the
> Am-241 in cloud chamber demos. (If the number
> of alpha is excessive one can cover the source
> with Al foil which has a tiny pin hole).
> Ludwik Kowalski
>
> On Friday, Sep 24, 2004, at 09:37 America/New_York, Dan MacIsaac wrote:
>
>
>
> > Ludwik:
> >
> > I also build these with teachers.  Recent manufacture Coleman
> > lantern mantles no longer contain Thorium, so I use radioactive
> > rocks I grabbed in AZ (Carnotite), or the commercial needle
> > sources, or recent Chinese manufacture lantern mantles.
> >
> > The NAS has a site that discusses tips for making cheap
> > and nasty cloud chambers work at
> > <http://www2.ans.org/pi/teachers/reactions/2001-06-02.html>
> >
> > Dan M