Alpha Radiation Detector
I needed something to detect alpha radiation. A cheap 15,000 volt DC driver kit is used to create a high voltage between the electrodes: a steel shot glass and a guitar string. The distance between the two electrodes can be very finely adjusted. The idea is that an alpha particle is a highly charged helium ion (He2+) and it wants to grab two electrons. When it grabs electrons from particles in the air, it creates a deficit of electrons that allows other electrons to flow through the air. If the electrodes are as close to each other as possible without arcing across, then the small ionizations caused by the alpha particles are enough to allow an arc to jump the gap.
The box was a random piece of audio equipment that I found at a thrift store. I then created several 3D printed parts. It runs on 4.5V (3x AA batteries in series). Since the output voltage from the transformer is so high, I took great care to isolate the 15kV side of the circuit from the rest of the device. Parts list and other documentation can be found in the Files section below.
I used americium-241 to test the device. It emits an alpha particle as it decays into neptunium, but later in its decay chain there are isotopes that will emit beta radiation. So it emits a mixture of alpha and beta radiation.
Video
Files
| Filename | Description | Size | Modified | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1E0979 - DIY Kit DC High Voltage Generator.pdf |
Documentation for high voltage driver kit. | 452KB | 6/12/2018 | |
|
3D Print Files |
Link to my Thingiverse page with all the 3D printed parts used in this project. | N/A | 4/7/2019 |
Links
- US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) Regulation (10 CRF) - Part 30
- Nuclear Forensic Search Project
Gallery
