Video of the Cloud Chamber with the Magnetic Array

This is video taken of the cloud chamber with the magnetic array at the Science Museum of Virginia. The particle tracks are ~1 cm below the array. In the video, you will see 3-4 different types of particles: 1) Beta particles, which are essentially electrons, form the most frequent tracks in the chamber, sometimes curving due to the array's magnetic field if the electrons come close enough and if they're traveling with low enough velocities.
2) Alpha particles, which are He nuclei, are the white blobs which rise and fall almost regularly.
3) Photons, which are the basic "units" of light, appear as thinner and brighter alpha particles.
4) Muons, which travel to the Earth from cosmic sources, are thin, uninterrupted streaks. Essentially heavy electrons, they are easily identifiable in the chamber when traveling horizontally - most muons will travel vertically once they reach ground level, rendering themselves almost untraceable in the chamber. One muon can be seen at 2:03-2:04, traveling downward from the top of the frame. In some instances, the muons appear as simple dots in the chamber, though most dots are not muons.
Bonus: 5) Though not pictured in this video (I think), protons are long, thick tracks that may bend as they pass through the chamber.
Extra Credit: At two points during the video, there are tiny additions to the chamber that are not in the form of particle tracks. Identify them and their time of occurrence and you'll win your own picture of a proton.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Cloud chamber
• Science Museum of Virginia
• electrons (beta particles)
• muons
• He nuclei (alpha particles)

[battlemaster4664]

One addition is at 3:26-3:29 in the left upper corner!

[jeffpkamp]

While photons themselves wouldn't be visible, X-ray and Gamma Ray radiation and some UV photons can be visualized in a cloud chamber because the can strike an atom and dislodge an e- or cause pair production via scattering. However, you shouldn't see these too much in back ground radiation because these photons are usually absorbed in the upper atmosphere.

[kahn10]

I don't believe a cloud chamber is capable of being ionized by a photon,.

[S2TH]

This is an impressive video. We are making a cloud chambre ourselves in school for a project. I was wondering: Can you really see Photons in the chambre? because i don't think they have an electric charge, and the principle of the cloud chambre is based on an electric charge of the particles. and could you maybe add some times when you can see muons to see the difference with other tracks. Thanks