toc1955's video: Ionization chamber Alpha beta and gamma detection

(Adolf Cortel, October 2013). This ionization chamber has been designed and described by Charles Wenzel in www.techlib.com. It is simple to build following the instructions and works very well if the issue of electric shielding is taken very seriously (as it is clearly described in Wenzell's site). The chamber responds strongly to alpha particles, which have by far the most ionizating power, however, an aluminum foil stops completely the alpha particles whereas beta and gamma can pass through. This allows the camber detecting beta and gamma. A thick ( 2mm) Al foil stops the beta particles and then only gamma radiation enters the chamber. Since the ionization power of gamma rays is much lower than alpha and beta particles, gamma radiation is only weakily detected, the source must be relatively intense and the gamma rays energetic enought to pass through the Al plate. Two examples with radium and americium sources can be seen in the video.