The purpose of a particle cloud chamber is to detect various types of particles that are present or pass through the chamber viewing area. Though there are many different types of chambers to chose from, it was decided that a continuous, dry ice-based model be built. In the dry ice-based model a supersaturated cloud is formed at the bottom of the alcohol filled chamber. The dry ice creates a temperature gradient which causes the supersaturation. Many different variations were tested and built until a stable prototype was completed. With the prototype complete, a larger scale model will go under production boasting a much larger viewable area. With this model it will be possible to accurately s

A trial and error process has lead to the design of the most successful type of particle cloud chamber. All the refinements have led to a design that creates the highest level of supersaturation with the highest stability. The final chamber built clearly shows the tracks of particles and in one case possibly cosmic rays. The next step in our project is to use a magnetic field to study the charge and energy of the particles and the occasional cosmic rays. The ultimate goal of the project will be undertaken this summer when a new larger scale model will be constructed.

In the "Sourcebook on Atomic Energy"3 the author concludes more saturation and pressure results in increased frequency of radiation trails. Other ways of increasing the frequency of trails are to use methyl alcohol and having a large difference in the temperature gradient. Although these factors increase activity, at best the sensitive region is only three inches deep. Nevertheless those three inches are all one needs to conduct the experiments. The author also states that cloud chambers are still widely used today for studying high-energy particles obtained from accelerators.

The final prototype was built with all the flaws of the previous models in mind. Due to the lack of reliability that tape offered, the final model was constructed with hot glue holding together the two dishes. The failures of black electrical tape to remain on the chamber resulted in the final model using permanent ink to provide the contrasting background for the trails. Finally with the availability of the needle source we decided to bore a hole in the chamber wall just large enough for the source needle. The felt is hot glued within the chamber and the final result is a one piece chamber with no moving parts. In this final prototype a new flaw was discovered, the plastic which made up the petri dishes became brittle with use and small fractures have developed on the bottom surface of the chamber which comes in contact with the dry ice.

The final chamber prototype is very stable. All the flaws of the previous models are addressed in this final design. The needle source which was purchased during the later part of the experiment brought more clarity to the experiment, showing the exact point at which the radiation emanates. In the smaller chamber types, trails were much more frequent and distinct. This is due to the overall size of the chamber and the relatively high levels of supersaturation the smaller chambers can successfully achieve. If at anytime a crack has formed in the chamber and a leak forms, the supersaturation of the chamber is ruined as the alcohol visibly dissipates out of the chamber. Also discovered while using the smaller types of chambers was that viewable levels of supersaturation were achieved earlier due to a smaller chamber volume. T

Some common words found in the essay are:
Enrico Fermi1, Chamber Abstract, Ann Sankey7, CTR Wilson, Atomic Energy3, Chamber Phenomena8, Wilson Chamber, Vranz Hess1, Jason Cassidy, dry ice, Review Cloud, cloud chamber, particle cloud, particle cloud chamber, cosmic rays, cloud chambers, temperature gradient, electrical tape, top chamber, methyl alcohol, charge energy, properties supersaturated environment, review cloud chambers, chamber dry ice, black electrical tape,
Approximate Word count = 1905
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)