BuildanElectricallyCooledCloudChamberfortheClassroom.docVIP

Revision: 2009-1-13 PAGE  PAGE 18 Build an Electrically Cooled Cloud Chamber for the Classroom Richard Gearns Physics Department Sachem High School East 177 Granny Road Farmingville, New York 11738 Abstract To introduce high school students to the world of particle physics, teachers can build an electrically cooled cloud chamber using off the shelf parts and easily sourced materials. This paper describes the building of an electric cloud chamber and potential uses in the classroom. An electrically cooled chamber permits flexibility of scheduling its use and eliminates the need for purchasing, storing, and handling dry ice or liquid nitrogen. The chamber design incorporates a magnetic field and permits estimation of the momentum of observed particles. The large size of the design allows students to explore background cosmic rays as well as radiation from a variety of source materials like radioactive sample disks, Fiestaware, and NoSalt. Acknowledgement By its nature, a project of this type incorporates the advice and help of many people. Thank you to the Fall 2005 students of PHY 579 for the initial inspiration for this project. The hours of setup and breakdown of the dry ice cloud chamber and the initial tests of the thermoelectric cooler concept lead to further trials and ultimately the current design. A debt of gratitude goes to Brookhaven National Laboratory technician Augie Hoffman. Augie’s remarkable ability to create exactly what you need even when you have trouble describing it to him, made building the chamber possible and repairing the chamber after various mishaps bearable. Thank you to the Department of Energy’s QuarkNet program for providing funding for all of the components and materials used in the development of the chamber. Significant appreciation goes to Daniel MacIsaac PhD for critiquing this manuscript and providing sound suggestions toward making a succinct presentation of this project. Special thanks goes to Helio Takai