NUCLEAR RADIATIONS

CHAPTER 20 NUCLEAR RADIATIONS Qs. What do you kno a!out W"#son and C#oud Cha$!%&' WILSON CLOUD CHA()ER Int&odu*t"on Wilson Cloud Chamber is used to observe the path of ionizing particles. It helps to examine the mechanism of ionization of various ionizing radiations and the product of their interaction with material inside the chamber. Const&u*t"on It consist of a closed cylindrical chamber with transparent glass top I and a movable piston on the bottom. On the sides near the top the cylindrical is provided with a glass window for light and for the ionizing particles or radiations. he piston can be moved up or down by a lever attached to it. !efore ma"ing the enclosed space above the piston arright# enough $uantity of a low boiling point li$uid such as water or alcohol is introduced in the space to produce its saturated vapours. % small $uantity of the li$uid stay on the piston.

Wo&k"n+ he vapours of the li$uid usually condense at its dew point but the condensation never ta"es place in the absence of some particles# dust particles or ions# which are essential to form the nuclei &centres' of condensation. In particle free space the saturated vapour may cool much below the dew point. hen they are called (uper (aturated )apours. *aths# additional information about the charged and uncharged nature# the magnitude of the charge# the charge to mass ration &e+m'# etc of the incident particle or the particle found by their interaction with the atoms can be obtained. !y this very method a number of particles have been discovered. Qs. E,-#a"n th% *onst&u*t"on and o&k"n+ o. /%#+%& Count%&. D%."n"t"on ,elger counter is a portable device which is widely used for the detaction of ionizing particles or radiations. Const&u*t"on It consists of a hollow metal cylinder# one end of which is closed by an insulating cap. %t the centre of the cap is fixed a stiff straight wire along the axis of the cylinder. % thin mica or glass disc closes the other end which also serves as all entrance window for the ionizing particles or radiations. he sealed tube usually contains a special mixture &air# argon# alcohol etc' at a low pressure of -.

to /.. millimetres of mercury. % potential difference of the order of one thousand volts is applied between the metal cylinder and difference is only slightly less than than# necessary to start a discharge between the wire and a cylinder. Wo&k"n+ When an ionizing particle enter the tube under this condition if a charged particle pass through the chamber it produces ionization along its trac". he condensation of vapours ta"es place on ion in the form of tiny droplets of fog# which can be photographed. /. 01Pa&t"*#% %n 01particle is highly ionizing the ions produced are so numerous that its trade is a thic" and continuous line. 2. 21Pa&t"*#% 31*article is much less ionizing its trac" is therefore# a thin and bro"en line. 4. 3 Rays 5 6 7ays are photons emitted in a widening cone of some angle. hey produce ionization by photoelectric effect distributed on a wide space. (ome of the photoelectrons e8ected by them give tiny line trac"s in directions li"e the 31 *articles and scattered dots are produced. he 5 6 rays not produce well1defined line trac".