[sdiy] Alpha Particle detectors

[epeasant at telusplanet.net]

I can't seem to access the diagrams for some reason, but if it's a normal type
ion chamber circuit then about 300V should be fine, although it may work OK
with less.

Take care,
Doug

______________________
The Electronic Peasant

www.electronicpeasant.com


>Hello All,
>
>Thank you for the suggestions. I found the very simple alpha particle
>detector developed by the US Army. "Rugged Alpha Particle Counter" US Patent

>Number 5,059,803
>
>http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&

>u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1='5,059,803'.WKU.&OS=PN/5,059,803&RS=

>PN/5,059,803
>
>This can be made from a MOSFET, tuna can and hair dryer nozzle (really).
>Counting efficiency is rated at 100% with an output of 7.4 millivolt pulses.

>For a 10 microcurie Am 241 source (I pulled it out of a smoke detector) that

>works out to 37,000 counts per second, or 145 random bytes per second.
>
>What I am having trouble with is the voltage needed for the outside cage. It

>is not specified in the patent. Can anyone help? (I am way, way over my
>head)
>
>Thank you.
>> 
>>> 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?
>> 
>
>
>