Primarygun Posted March 29, 2006 Posted March 29, 2006 Imagine that there's a complete circuit except the front is left open, so it is an open circuit. The two ends of the wire are metal plates, similar to electrolytic cell. There's a 2200V voltage connecting in series, just like a battery conecting in series. There's a steam of alpha particle shot to flow perpendicular to the plane in VACUUM. Is there any current generated? What about using beta particles (a) in air (b) in vacuum?
5614 Posted March 29, 2006 Posted March 29, 2006 Err, well this is my thought process, it doesn't mean it's right. In air if you had radiation then a current would pass, but that is because the atoms become ionised and so conduct electricity. But in a vacum there is no air to ionise, so would alpha particles alone conduct? I don't think so, so the first answer would be no. As for beta particles, well the same answer for in air (it will conduct because the air becomes ionised allowing a current to flow), and as for in a vacum, there's nothing to ionise, but would beta particles, which are electrons, conduct electricity? I'm tempted to say no. So in air yes and in a vacum no... but I'm not certain. YT, yes it is very much like a GM tube... err, "Muller Geiger"? Isn't it Geiger Muller?
YT2095 Posted March 29, 2006 Posted March 29, 2006 YT, yes it is very much like a GM tube... err, "Muller Geiger"[/i']? Isn't it Geiger Muller? Semantics!
swansont Posted March 29, 2006 Posted March 29, 2006 Imagine that there's a complete circuit except the front is left open' date=' so it is an open circuit. The two ends of the wire are metal plates, similar to electrolytic cell.There's a 2200V voltage connecting in series, just like a battery conecting in series. There's a steam of alpha particle shot to flow perpendicular to the plane in VACUUM. Is there any current generated? What about using beta particles (a) in air (b) in vacuum?[/quote'] What's the work function of the metal plates, and the temperature? You will get thermionic emission, enhanced by the field between the plates, and possibly modified by the presence of the other particles.
Primarygun Posted March 30, 2006 Author Posted March 30, 2006 Appreciate all first. Swansont, in my mind, I guess a current will appear in the case of vacuum. Do you agree? The particles carry charge, so they move the oppositely charged plates. Can you tell me about the change in energy of the particles? In my thought, I think the path completed by alpha particles should be of a low resistance, since they are charged. Their energy content cannot be dropped to zero, I think, as their charges couldn't be neutralized unless they reach the plates. If I am wrong with a particular statement, please notify me. Thanks
CPL.Luke Posted April 17, 2006 Posted April 17, 2006 my guess is that your circuit is drawn like this { } { [ } {-------------------[ [----------------------} { } { } with the particles flowing towards the top of the page. and the power supply supplying 2200 volts now since the two plates would form a capacitor there should be a small current running between the two plates as the plates charge, since the equation for the current in a capacitor is given by vbatt/R(e^-T/RC) there is always going to be some current between the plates however since the particles will create a current themselves the above doesn't matter to to much, now for the case of whether there would be a current in the circuit when some stream of particles is shot in the direction indicated in the diagram. I would say that there would be a current but it would act to evenly distribute the incoming charge (from the particles) between the two plates. Edit* apparently the BB system removed my second plate on the right, so just imagine that there was a second plate on the right hand side of the diagram
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