Design and Construction of a Spark Chamber (2010)

Undergraduates: Len Evans, Giovanetti, Graham

Faculty Advisor: Reyco Henning
Department: Physics & Astronomy

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A spark chamber is a subatomic particle detector that creates sparks when an energetic muon (an unstable charged particle with properties similar to an electron) has passed through it. The muon ionizes the path of the gas in the chamber, allowing for plates athigh potential to discharge to create a spark, resulting in a visible trajectory of the particle. These trajectories can be analyzed to determine the muon flux where the spark chamber is used. We present on the design and the progress of construction of an electrical system for a spark chamber including a logic system to trigger a spark after an incident muon, as well as the triggering mechanism itself. We have also designed and constructed a gas system to fill (and keep filled) the spark chamber with a mixture of helium and neon because these gasses ionize better than air.