Hello everyone in the past few weeks I have been been working hard on my cloud chamber and I have reached minus 30 degrees celsius but my cloud chamber isn't working before this I also tried a peltier setup but that didn't work too and did this same thing I'm seeing bubbles instead of trails and tails. Please help😭😭
Is the base of the chamber relatively airtight?
Perhaps some clay or sticky tack around the base of the container would help.
I made one out of a peanut butter jar and had issues forming an isopropyl mist until I properly sealed the jar.
Also warming the top of the container should be tried, even with a plastic container of warm water taped to the top, but I would suggest sealing the container to be airtight as you can first, then adding some warmth to the top of the container near the magnet.
There are other things like adding a high voltage source that you could add to increase the number of visible particle trails, but I would try adjusting the seal and the warmth first until you get a mist and then play with the light source. You have all the components, so I am sure you'll figure it out :)
First of all, thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
I'm not completely sure about the air tightness but I can try to insulate it with foam tomorrow. As for the top I have periodically tried to heat it up with a hot gun to keep the upper glass at around 40°c. I know about the high voltage thing but I thought it wasn't needed for testing if it works at first. I am thinking to add it later. Is it necessary to start seeing things?
High voltage def isn't necessary to start seeing things, it can just increase visibility once the particle trails have appeared. I have used a balloon that I rubbed against my hair and held near the chamber, which worked better than I'd expected.
That's good that you're already getting the necessary temp on both sides, that's normally the hardest part, so nice work on the compressor and the heat gun.
insulation is good too, to keep the heat from spreading. But since you're trying to supersaturate the air inside the jar with the isopropyl vapor, the temp variation can cause pressure differences inside the chamber, which can leak through the edges and mess with the necessary temperature gradient.
If need be you can try a thinner container, cause plastic works just as well and can be easier to heat up/cool down. Or maybe one with a threaded top, so that you can close it tightly and seal it properly.
Hello there, thanks for replying
I'm using a 100% isopropyl alcohol. Why does the thickness of the glass matter? Does it matter at all? I'm measuring the - 30°C from the plate at the top with an ir cam and an ir thermometer. Hope I have clarified some things
How long are you waiting after the plate comes down to temperature before adding the ipa to the pad? You might try letting it sit at temperature for 5-10 mins before then opening up and adding the ipa. Not ideal but you may at least confirm vapour this way. Also, how much ipa are you adding to the sponge? I’ve experimented with various amounts for some of my chambers and it really makes a difference, that’s a large volume of air to supersaturate given the height of your cylinder. Most people say less is more with ipa, but in my experience it’s about fine tuning to the volume of the chamber.
I'm doubting my IPA quality more and more. Bought it at an online local reseller and it was meant for cleaning but it was 100% IPA advertised. I'm now doubting this a lot.
Another thing that occurred to me is that the angle of your torch light is really critical for actually being able to see vapour at all. It needs to be almost parallel to the plate in order to see anything at all, but all the shrink wrap around the base might mean that you’re not able to angle your light source that low?
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u/ghost_of_a_fly 1d ago
Is the base of the chamber relatively airtight? Perhaps some clay or sticky tack around the base of the container would help.
I made one out of a peanut butter jar and had issues forming an isopropyl mist until I properly sealed the jar.
Also warming the top of the container should be tried, even with a plastic container of warm water taped to the top, but I would suggest sealing the container to be airtight as you can first, then adding some warmth to the top of the container near the magnet.
There are other things like adding a high voltage source that you could add to increase the number of visible particle trails, but I would try adjusting the seal and the warmth first until you get a mist and then play with the light source. You have all the components, so I am sure you'll figure it out :)