Invisible
traffic.
Particles leave clues as they pass. In a cloud chamber, vapor condenses along their ionized paths. Here, you can sketch those fleeting signatures.
Observation plane
Supersaturated vapor, imaginedIllustrative simulation
No live detector connected
Supersaturated vapor, imaginedIllustrative simulation
No live detector connected
Six example tracks are waiting in the vapor.
tracks in view
Alpha: short and thick
An alpha particle ionizes the vapor densely and loses energy quickly. Its track is usually relatively short, thick and straight.
The chamber is the witness.
The particle itself remains unseen. What appears is a trail of tiny droplets. This toy exaggerates the traces for comparison; shape alone is not a certain identification.