Instructions on how to build your own radiation detector. Please send your banana photos to Landrew3232@yahoo.com Hi,Andrew here, update 1 Fielding questions... Video Rating: 4 / 5
The detector I created can not see low energy gammas. The video shows a Potassium 40 gamma with 1.64 mev energy. I and others were very surprised we could see even this low energy gamma with a commercial ccd camera. I tried the usual household sources and the Potassium 40 in the salt substitute had the highest energy and rate for gamma.Check this beauty out called Big BOSS! I am hoping next years funding includes this camera.://bigboss.lbl.gov/docs/BigBOSS_NOAO_public.pdf
@faraday1945 Oh your part of the same hostile group. No I do not want to be part of your group. I will however help the person with the Canberra multi channel analyzer. Tell him I have a manual for him with a pinout.
Sadly you failed to build the detector. You used an Americium source which is a alpha emitter, you placed the scintillator in a shoe box , you put the camera outside the box with a pinhole. The only way your detector would work is if you were at a nuclear event. If you need help please feel free to write, I like the fact you tried.Students have had interesting results. Keep trying:) I didn't even polish the plastic for more efficiency. Send your photos in. Remember beta/gamma:)
Carl , please get the name right. My name is in my e-mail address at the top of the page. Oh I still do not want to be part of your group, please stop calling and writing. My son thinks you are a stalker. The scin. in the video is Bicron 400. Why the Mr.? Oh another sign of disrespect?
Ha! Yes, these days so many people are frightened and they don't have to be. I felt so sorry for the people of Japan and still do. I have hundreds of people backing me in radiation safety. Film badge, LSM, Bicron, source training, ALARA AS Low AS Reasonably Achievable. Not knowing if the bag of groceries you just brought in for your children was contaminated from a nuclear incident miles away I can't imagine the fear. Seems so many are so hostile when radiation is discussed.
You didn't have to post my name Carl, it's in my e-mail which I give in the video. Seems your whole group is very very hostile border line stalker. No Carl I will not be part of your group, however the offer to buy the Canberra multi channel analyzer still stands.
@faraday1945 The method isn't novel, it's inexpensive. I was asked if it could be used for personal dosimetry and I said I was not comfortable with that. Soil sampling yes if there are not other instruments. Why are you so hostile? Your comment was taken as an insult by everyone who read it including myself. We had a laugh at our meeting. I was only a second place winner in my seventh grade science fair. Write me and I will ship you one of my counters for schools. I give them out to schools.
Hi Carl, I still do not want to be a member of your group no matter how many times you ask. In fact the scintillator in the video is Bicron 400. You can do the math or the experiment. Gamma ray detection using ccds isn't new. Unworkable? I did it and there are the results. You can do the math or the experiment. The gammas from the beta decay produce thousands of photons in the sint. You seem so hostile, stalking me everywhere I go. No Carl I do not want to be in your group.
Hi Carl, sorry I still do not want to be a member of your group no matter how many times you ask. I enjoyed helping one of your members with a multi channel analyzer which I am still willing to purchase. As anyone can see, I did not take YouTubes offer to place adds for money, I have not used my name as a claim to fame you suggest. As far as the physics goes, if you know the math you can see the gammas emitted produce thousands of photons in the Bicron 400 I used.Please do the math
@faraday1945 Hi, I am very sorry you didn't understand the video. This was meant as a tool to inspire people to create a very inexpensive dosimeter that can measure small amounts of radiation. I believe they are now using this technique in Fukushima for soil testing after seeing my video. When you finish your science fair please come by our lab for a tour. I hope this inspired you to work hard in school and one day you will find a career in physics.
Hi again, I have been thinking about an experiment with 250,000 gallons of mineral oil undoped as scintillator. The efficiency is not what doped plastic is however I will give this a try tomorrow. By the way there are many different organics you can use to custom tailor the wavelength (for photo tubes)and the efficiency you need.In large volumes it is also about the money unfortunately. .fnal.gov/pub/science/experiments/intensity/miniboone
Hi, Fluoresce is not the same as scintillate, sorry I wish it was that easy. It's not the beta that we see, it's the gamma ray with 1.46 mev that hits the scintillator. The potassium 40 has an unusual decay there are two decay channels one channel is a Beta minus (89% of time) producing a Calcium 40 isotope and the other channel electron (11%) producing a stable state Argon 40 isotope. The physics is fun with potassium 40 having two channels of decay and 1.2 billion half life
So, the plastic scintillator is plastic that has some other material incorporated into it that gives off light when hit with radiation. The foil and tape blocks ambient light during the exposure. I just learned that tonic water will fluoresce under ultraviolet light due to the quinine that is contains. Does anyone know if tonic water will fluoresce on exposure to the beta particles given off by potassium? I am assuming that this is the type of emission that is being picked up here.
Hi, and thank you for the insult. I have tried the Pyrex baking dish (the large one in the video) using 14 bananas as the source. I was able to see a signal with 10 exposures averaged for a 4.7 sigma event ( Very good). A single exposure 1.5 sigma signal (just above noise) signal. Get creative, I have a microwave turntable plate that is Boron Silicate that might see a better signal? How about your mother's lead glass vase/goblet or ? .I have broken Pyrex cookware to try different geometry.
i looked in my digital camera and seen 10 bananas, is that normal?
ReplyDeletesource (and price) of plastic scintillator?
ReplyDeleteThe old civil defence don't cost as much as the camera alone!
ReplyDeleteThe detector I created can not see low energy gammas. The video shows a Potassium 40
ReplyDeletegamma with 1.64 mev energy. I and others were very surprised we could see even this low energy gamma with a commercial ccd camera. I tried the usual household sources and the Potassium 40 in the salt substitute had the highest energy and rate for gamma.Check this beauty out called Big BOSS! I am hoping next years funding includes this camera.://bigboss.lbl.gov/docs/BigBOSS_NOAO_public.pdf
@faraday1945 Oh your part of the same hostile group. No I do not want to be part of your group. I will however help the person with the Canberra multi channel analyzer. Tell him I have a manual for him with a pinout.
ReplyDeleteSadly you failed to build the detector. You used an Americium source which is a alpha emitter, you placed the scintillator in a shoe box , you put the camera outside the box with a pinhole. The only way your detector would work is if you were at a nuclear event. If you need help please feel free to write, I like the fact you tried.Students have had interesting results. Keep trying:) I didn't even polish the plastic for more efficiency. Send your photos in. Remember beta/gamma:)
ReplyDeleteCarl , please get the name right. My name is in my e-mail address at the top of the page. Oh I still do not want to be part of your group, please stop calling and writing. My son thinks you are a stalker. The scin. in the video is Bicron 400. Why the Mr.? Oh another sign of disrespect?
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, these days so many people are frightened and they don't have to be.
ReplyDeleteI felt so sorry for the people of Japan and still do. I have hundreds of people backing me in radiation safety. Film badge, LSM, Bicron, source training, ALARA AS Low AS Reasonably Achievable. Not knowing if the bag of groceries you just brought in for your children was contaminated from a nuclear incident miles away I can't imagine the fear. Seems so many are so hostile when radiation is discussed.
You didn't have to post my name Carl, it's in my e-mail which I give in the video.
ReplyDeleteSeems your whole group is very very hostile border line stalker. No Carl I will not be part of your group, however the offer to buy the Canberra multi channel analyzer still stands.
@faraday1945 The method isn't novel, it's inexpensive. I was asked if it could be used for personal dosimetry and I said I was not comfortable with that. Soil sampling yes if there are not other instruments. Why are you so hostile? Your comment was taken as an insult by everyone who read it including myself. We had a laugh at our meeting. I was only a second place winner in my seventh grade science fair. Write me and I will ship you one of my counters for schools. I give them out to schools.
ReplyDeleteHi Carl, I still do not want to be a member of your group no matter how many times you ask.
ReplyDeleteIn fact the scintillator in the video is Bicron 400. You can do the math or the experiment. Gamma ray detection using ccds isn't new. Unworkable? I did it and there are the results. You can do the math or the experiment. The gammas from the beta decay produce thousands of photons in the sint. You seem so hostile, stalking me everywhere I go. No Carl I do not want to be in your group.
Hi Carl, sorry I still do not want to be a member of your group no matter how many times you ask. I enjoyed helping one of your members with a multi channel analyzer which I am still willing to purchase. As anyone can see, I did not take YouTubes offer to place adds for money, I have not used my name as a claim to fame you suggest. As far as the physics goes, if you know the math you can see the gammas emitted produce thousands of photons in the Bicron 400 I used.Please do the math
ReplyDelete@faraday1945 Hi, I am very sorry you didn't understand the video. This was meant as a tool to inspire people to create a very inexpensive dosimeter that can measure small amounts of radiation. I believe they are now using this technique in Fukushima for soil testing after seeing my video. When you finish your science fair please come by our lab for a tour. I hope this inspired you to work hard in school and one day you will find a career in physics.
ReplyDeletealways with the tinfoil
ReplyDeleteHi again, I have been thinking about an experiment with 250,000 gallons of mineral oil undoped as scintillator. The efficiency is not what doped plastic is however I will give this a try tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteBy the way there are many different organics you can use to custom tailor the wavelength (for photo tubes)and the efficiency you need.In large volumes it is also about the money unfortunately.
.fnal.gov/pub/science/experiments/intensity/miniboone
Hi, Fluoresce is not the same as scintillate, sorry I wish it was that easy. It's not the beta that we see, it's the gamma ray with 1.46 mev that hits the scintillator. The potassium 40 has an unusual decay there are two decay channels one channel is a Beta minus (89% of time) producing a Calcium 40 isotope and the other channel electron (11%) producing a stable state Argon 40 isotope. The physics is fun with potassium 40 having two channels of decay and 1.2 billion half life
ReplyDeleteSo, the plastic scintillator is plastic that has some other material incorporated into it that gives off light when hit with radiation. The foil and tape blocks ambient light during the exposure. I just learned that tonic water will fluoresce under ultraviolet light due to the quinine that is contains. Does anyone know if tonic water will fluoresce on exposure to the beta particles given off by potassium? I am assuming that this is the type of emission that is being picked up here.
ReplyDeleteWikipedia/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose
ReplyDeleteHi, and thank you for the insult. I have tried the Pyrex baking dish (the large one in the video) using 14 bananas as the source. I was able to see a signal with 10 exposures averaged for a 4.7 sigma event ( Very good). A single exposure 1.5 sigma signal (just above noise) signal. Get creative, I have a microwave turntable plate that is Boron Silicate that might see a better signal? How about your mother's lead glass vase/goblet or ? .I have broken Pyrex cookware to try different geometry.
ReplyDeleteOh how easy and useful, since everyone has scintillators laying around the house. FAIL.
ReplyDeleteThis is great!
ReplyDeleteHow about some suggestions for the plastic detector.
ReplyDelete@pleiotropik I will have options for you shortly. Please feel free to write me Landrew3232@yahoo.com
ReplyDeletewhere do you get a scintillator?
ReplyDelete