NUCLEAR & PARTICLE PHYSICS · INTERACTIVE LAB 73

Cloud Chamber Laboratory

Make invisible radiation visible through the condensation trails left by charged particles.

Mixed radioactive sampleRunning

Alpha · thick, shortBeta/electron · thin, wanderingCosmic muon · long, straightProton · medium, dense

Elapsed time0.0 s

Particles emitted0

Visible tracks0

Estimated ions0

Mean track length—

Magnetic field0.0 T*

Detections over time

Track-length distribution

Experiment preset Particle source Emission rate 3.0 s⁻¹ Particle energy 55% Vapour density 78% Condensation intensity 82% Scattering strength 45% Track persistence 8.0 s Magnetic-field strength 0.0 T* Field direction Simulation speed 1.0× Random seed

*Illustrative, dimensionless teaching model—not a radiation detector, dosimeter, safety tool or chamber-design system.

Select a trackClick or tap a trail to inspect its modelled particle type, charge, energy, path length, curvature and scattering.

How tracks appear

Charged particles ionise molecules as they pass. Supersaturated vapour condenses on those ions, making a trail of droplets. The trail is evidence of the path—not a photograph of the particle itself.

How to identify tracks

Alpha: short and thick. Beta/electron: thin and irregular. Muon: long and straight. Gamma: invisible directly, but may create a secondary electron.

Magnetic fingerprints

The Lorentz force curves charged paths. Opposite charges bend in opposite directions, while a higher-momentum particle follows a broader arc.

Model limitation: Track rates, energies, ion counts and field values are illustrative. This accelerated visual model teaches qualitative detector behaviour and does not estimate exposure or reproduce a specific apparatus.