Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: RajNSF on 04/03/2012 10:07:58
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How to make a gamma ray gun at home? I thought of using a vacuum tube (like those used in early radios.) and some magnets to slow down accelerating electrons and make them emit high freq. photons. Is it possible?
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"How can I make a home gamma ray gun?"
You can't.
You might get hold of some radioactive material that emits gamma rays and put it in a properly designed collimator.
Or you might make some sort of particle accelerator, but neither of them would be practical because they would be far too heavy and almost certainly too expensive.
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To make gamma rays in this direct sort of way, you would probably need a synchrotron
For a parochial plug, check out http://www.synchrotron.org.au/ (http://www.synchrotron.org.au/)
Gamma rays usually refers to high energy photons from radioactive decay or other nuclear reactions.
The sort of thing that you might (but more probably would not) achieve with the type of set-up you are describing is production of x-rays, where an electron plays pool, and knocks an electron out of another atom. You would be wiser not to. x-rays and gamma rays are extremely dangerous, illegal to play with, and a long way beyond the scope of home science.
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To make gamma rays in this direct sort of way, you would probably need a synchrotron
For a parochial plug, check out http://www.synchrotron.org.au/ (http://www.synchrotron.org.au/)
Gamma rays usually refers to high energy photons from radioactive decay or other nuclear reactions.
The sort of thing that you might (but more probably would not) achieve with the type of set-up you are describing is production of x-rays, where an electron plays pool, and knocks an electron out of another atom. You would be wiser not to. x-rays and gamma rays are extremely dangerous, illegal to play with, and a long way beyond the scope of home science.
Of course but i wud be needing that to excite some materials or transmute...
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"How can I make a home gamma ray gun?"
You can't.
You might get hold of some radioactive material that emits gamma rays and put it in a properly designed collimator.
Or you might make some sort of particle accelerator, but neither of them would be practical because they would be far too heavy and almost certainly too expensive.
Thats the prob. its not easy for me to get a gamma emitting element.
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"How can I make a home gamma ray gun?"
You can't.
You might get hold of some radioactive material that emits gamma rays and put it in a properly designed collimator.
Or you might make some sort of particle accelerator, but neither of them would be practical because they would be far too heavy and almost certainly too expensive.
Thats the prob. its not easy for me to get a gamma emitting element.
I'm very glad to hear it.
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Thats the prob. its not easy for me to get a gamma emitting element.
There is a small amount of gamma emitting material in a large fraction of homes in the UK.
[ and to answer your next question, no I’m not telling where it is ]
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[ and to answer your next question, no I’m not telling where it is ]
Oh its ok if u dont but cant u tell what element is there?
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Modnote
Raj - if you don't know what RD is referring to then it is a likely guess that you also don't understand how dangerous it could be. Three knowledgeable scientists in this thread have suggested that you should stop considering this as a real idea - this isn't cos they are killjoys, it is because either you will get absolutely nowhere or if you do get somewhere it will be very hazardous to health
There are hundreds of great science projects that you can actually complete that will blow your mind without potentially risking large doses of radiation of one form or another.
Off the top of my head - if you are interested in radiation, why not build a very simple detector - a cloud chamber. Here is a link to Dave Ansel's Kitchen Science - it still needs care, attention to detail, and an understanding of the hazards involved; but in this case they are manageable.
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/kitchenscience/garage-science/exp/cloud-chamber/
If you continue to push for suggestions on gamma sources etc I will reluctantly close this thread.
Thanks - imatfaal/mod
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Well I do know how dangerous they are. I won't go about to damage anything. I only asked which 'element' he meant. I have already told "it's not easy for me to get any gamma source." I wanted to know which elements 'emit' them that's all.
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RajNSF bricks and concrete and all rocks contain about 1 part per million of uranium. Uranium undergoes slow radioactive decay, passing through thorium, protactinium, radium, radon, polonium, lead, and bismuth before it eventually reaches a stable form of lead. Most of these elements in this pathway emit gamma rays. That will provide all the knowledge you need.
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Well I do know how dangerous they are. I won't go about to damage anything. I only asked which 'element' he meant. I have already told "it's not easy for me to get any gamma source." I wanted to know which elements 'emit' them that's all.
Raj, unless you want to kill other people (or yourself), why are you even talking about a "gun"? Gamma rays are extremely dangerous. If you could produce them, what exactly were you thinking of doing with them?
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I have mentioned that I need that to excite materials.
And study the effects of photoelectric effect by high frequency radiation.
A particle emitting machine is also referred to as a "gun". You can't accuse me to be a murderer??!!!!!!
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RajNSF bricks and concrete and all rocks contain about 1 part per million of uranium. Uranium undergoes slow radioactive decay, passing through thorium, protactinium, radium, radon, polonium, lead, and bismuth before it eventually reaches a stable form of lead. Most of these elements in this pathway emit gamma rays. That will provide all the knowledge you need.
Thank you for that.
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There is a small amount of gamma emitting material in a large fraction of homes in the U K
Okay I've guessed what it is. Don't worry I'm not gonna mess about with it.
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what exactly were you thinking of doing with them?
Of course but i wud be needing that to excite some materials or transmute...
There's the evidence
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Have you tried www.makeurowngammagunat home.org?
Theres a lot of useful starter info there for enthusiasts like yourself.