[sdiy] Alpha Particle detectors

[Doug Tymofichuk]

Well, I think gamma radiation is a lot easier to work with 
and detect than alpha and beta. Any geiger tube system 
would work. And radium is a good emitter, should be fairly 
easy to find some (old analogue watches?)

Take care,
Doug

On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 11:02:51 -0500 Grant Richter 
<grichter at asapnet.net> wrote:

> Yes, I know this is an ridiculously complex way to replace 
> a zener connected 2N3904.
> 
> I just like the idea of using atomic decay to generate 
> music.
> 
> "Death of Atoms = Birth of Music"
> 
> It started by finding this link for a random generator:
> 
> http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/Security/seminars/1998/1998-11-03.html
> 
> Which is probably a photodiode internally doped with an 
> alpha emitter. Smoke detectors contain Americium 241 and 
> are easy to get:
> 
> http://www.llrc.org/smokedetect/smokedetectpage.htm
> 
> Also chemical scintillators which emit photons when struck 
> by particles are available:
> 
> http://www.apace-science.com/ast/index.htm
> 
> You can get bulk isotopes here (with the right permits):
> 
> http://www.iichinc.com/index.htm
> 
> Is there an easier way to detect alpha particles than a 
> photodiode scintillation counter? (The scintillation 
> phosphors are rather expensive as you would expect) How 
> about cutting the top off of the photodiode?
> 
> Would the phosphor from an old CRT work since the Americium 
> is a weak beta emitter also?
> 
> Thanks for any info or suggestions.
> 
> 

----------------------
Doug Tymofichuk
dougt at cancerboard.ab.ca