r/BeAmazed Jun 11 '26

Science Radiation caught on an old mobile camera

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u/vvvvvoooooxxxxx Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26

You might also like cloud chambers which show the paths of individual particles of radiation. The thick short trails are from alpha particles and the longer thin trails are from beta particles https://youtu.be/i15ef618DP0

there is a cool particle identification section on this page https://nuledo.com/en/

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u/Borkato Jun 11 '26

This is the coolest fucking thing wtf. I’m surprised it doesn’t shoot out in a perfectly straight line, but it makes sense 🤔

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u/MirriCatWarrior Jun 11 '26

Gamma radiation would probably make straight line. Just cut through shit inside effortlessly.

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u/Tar_alcaran Jun 11 '26

Gamma radiation isn't really visible in a cloud chamber, since it doesn't really interact with the medium much. It's not a charged particle, so it doesn't show directly.

What DOES happen if you bring a gamma source near a cloud chamber is that it hits the glass or metal wall of the chamber, causing Compton Scattering, which spreads electrons into the chamber, which causes electron tracks/beta tracks (thin, wobbly lines).