What is the Universe expanding into..

Do you think there was anything before the big bang?

  • I don't think there was anything before the Big Bang

    Votes: 56 12.5%
  • I think something existed before the Big Bang

    Votes: 200 44.7%
  • I don't think the big bang happened

    Votes: 54 12.1%
  • I think the universe is part of a mutiverse

    Votes: 201 45.0%

  • Total voters
    447
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Early cloud chambers were filled with air saturated with water vapour. The air molecules become ionised by the passage of positive alpha particles or negative beta particles. The ionised molecules act as centres of condensation for the water vapour, forming a trail of clouds which reveal the paths taken by the radioactive particles.

Energetic atmospheric gas molecules, unless they are positive or negative ions and can be introduced into the cloud chamber, would not produce trails in a cloud chamber.

Have you any more information, Bonsai?

No. You’ve just made me feel like an ***.

:D
 
I thought you could get trails in a cold chamber just from energetic atmospheric gas molecules ?

Don't feel too bad, old chum. Merely confusing a Cloud Chamber and a 'Fridge! :eek:

I frequently muddle up the spellnig of seperate. It's easy. I looked it up. You will smell A RAT in the correct spelling. SepARATe. :D

New contributors to this expanding thread are advised to listen to Astrophysicist Dr. Becky at Christ Church, Oxford.

Dr. Becky - YouTube

All is explained, and not an equation in sight. :cool:

I will finish this Stephen Hawking film today:

988971d1633726331-universe-expanding-stephen-hawking-jpg


So far, his "Arts" date, Jane, slips him a napkin with a badly scrawled phone number in 1962 or 1963. It took some deciphering, but was 0223 49672. I wondered if this was historically accurate, since my number around this time was Burgh Heath 3530, and it may be. Cambridge STD area code and 5 digits at the time.

I suspect that this will be about as Mathematical as the film gets. Seems to be a RomCom so far. Though Stephen has told Jane his main interest in Life is finding the equation of everything. Good pick-up line, if it works. :confused:
 
I will finish this Stephen Hawking film today...
And then you could give us a review of the 2004 BBC film 'Hawking', which stars Benedict Cumberbatch.

It also looks at Hawking's early years, but there appears to be a bit more physics in this particular telling of the story.

Hawking (2004 film - Wikipedia)

Stephen, judging by the attached photo, appeared to give the seal of approval to Benedict's portrayal of himself in the film.

By contrast, Jane Hawking railed against the misinterpretation of her 30 year marriage to Stephen as portrayed in 'The Theory of Everything'.

Stephen Hawking's first wife intensifies attack on The Theory of Everything | The Theory of Everything | The Guardian

The DVD is probably available for 50p at a charity store near you!
 

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Actually, I'll retract my statement about feeling like an ***.

You do NOT need a ground based alpha particle source to see traces in a cloud chamber.

High energy particles are mostly stopped or deflected by the mag field and atmosphere that encompasses the Earth, but some still get through, and that's what ionizes gas molecules and enables them to be tracked in a cloud chamber.

Here is a link on how to build your own, perfectly safe of course and not needing any alpha source, courtesy of CERN

How to make your own cloud chamber | CERN


Here are some of the particles you can see directly with the home built cloud chamber. I guess I know what I'll be building with the grandson billy in a few years :)
 

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You do NOT need a ground based alpha particle source to see traces in a cloud chamber.
No one said you did, but the simple diffusion cloud chamber used in schools has a radioactive source built in (visible at the right hand side of attached image).

The source is normally a spot of radioactive paint containing radium.

Students can most easily observe the tracks of alpha particles but, if they watch the chamber long enough, they may well see the tracks of high energy electrons from cosmic rays.
 

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This is an excellent video showing the different tracks produced in a cloud chamber by the different ionising particles which constitute natural radioactivity.

Cloud chamber: Radioactive particles in 4K 60FPS - YouTube

I would expect the Nuledo Compacto cloud chamber in the video to be a tad more sophisticated than one you could make yourself.

P.S. Video gets best one minute in!
 
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I'm not sure I believe Disco-Pete there... :D

Actually looks like ME! :cool:

989066d1633786142-universe-expanding-atomic-energy-lab-jpg


The headphones and tank-top is a giveaway!

In 1964, when 10, my sister bought me "The Radio Lab" for Christmas. 7 exciting Radios the home constructor can build! Kit 1 was a Cat's Whisker Radio. Kit 2 was more difficult. A Regenerative receiver IIRC. It then moved onto stuff like Superheterodyne and frankly, lost me thereafter. Too many components for me. :confused:

You plugged all these things like Tuning Capacitors and Transistors and a huge length of aerial wire together, connected a 9V Ever-Ready battery and some headphones or a loudspeaker. Made a lot of Woo-Woo noises and occasionally picked up the Long Wave: "World-wide Family Favourites"!

My local art shop had a treasure today. A set of prints of Herge's TinTin series "Destination Moon". All with original French captions. We measured them for my A2 frame size, and the Lady said they were "exactamente" at 70cm x 50 cm. I said I'd be back tomorrow since I had to go to the Garden Centre and Bookies unencumbered next.

Alas dead cert "Commanche Falls" (Sounds like a John Wayne movie, eh?) in the 3.15 at York let me down. But I got some Winter Pansies for my baskets from a nice girl called Cat.

Point of the story is I measured the frames later. They are 42cm x 59cm, which is A2. Bit disappointed really.
 

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Since he's offline, I think we can talk about Bonsai... ;)

I thought you could get trails in a cold chamber just from energetic atmospheric gas molecules ?

I don't know who he thinks he is fooling. That's not a Cloud Chamber, it's a 'Fridge! :rolleyes:

Only way he will redeem his shattered reputation is by getting, as I did, 7/7 in the Super-Hard Solar System quiz.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbcf8xs#xtor=CS8-1000-[Discovery_Cards]-[Multi_Site]-[GR05]-[PS_BITESIZE~N~~A_SolarSystemQuiz]

Question 2 was very hard, IMO.
 
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