Electrical discharges in xenon at various pressures Carl Willis 2013-01-10 | Xenon is beloved by plasma artists for its vivid white arcs. It is the main constituent gas in most commercial plasma globe toys. (It's a shame it's so costly!) In this video, a one-liter glass flask fitted with an electrode is evacuated on a high vacuum pumping station and then incrementally pressurized with pure xenon while a high-voltage RF discharge is passed through it. At the end, I seal off the flask from the pumps. Nothing is redacted, so it's a long and at times boring video. For viewers' benefit, here are some quick links to the plasma at various pressures:(5:08) High vacuum, residual gases at a few millitorr pressure; glass fluoresces(6:50) Estimated pressure is 0.5 torr xenon(7:24) 24.5 inHg = 38 torr xenon(7:53) 23.5 inHg = 64 torr xenon(9:00) 22.5 inHg = 89 torr xenon(10:08) 21.8 inHg = 107 torr xenon(11:46) 21.0 inHg = 127 torr xenon(12:45) 19.8 inHg = 157 torr xenon(13:47) 18.5 inHg = 191 torr xenon(15:09) 17.5 inHg = 216 torr xenon(16:15) 15.5 inHg = 267 torr xenon(17:14) 14.0 inHg = 305 torr xenon(18:03) 13.0 inHg = 330 torr xenon(19:05) 7.5 inHg = 470 torr xenon(20:28) 6.0 inHg = 508 torr xenon(21:24) 2.0 inHg = 610 torr xenon(21:28) With the HV power on, I begin pumping out the flask with the vacuum system so we can see some of the effects again as the pressure drops.(28:30) 25 inHg = 25 torr xenon(31:15) Approaching high vacuum again with the turbo pump now on once more.(32:18) Flask is filled to seal-off pressure of 19 inHg = 178 torr, and subsequently is sealed off the system with a hand torch. That's it, folks!
Exposing radiochromic film with strontium-90 beta particles Carl Willis 2023-04-02 | Sheets of Gafchromic EBT3 radiochromic film are exposed to radiation from a strontium-90 pterygium eye applicator, causing the dye in the film to polymerize into its characteristic blue form. The influence of a magnetic field is investigated. In total, three sheets are irradiated for one hour each:1) with no magnet present;2) with the magnet in one orientation;3) with the magnet in the reverse orientation.
Introduction to scintillators Carl Willis 2021-10-18 | This video looks at scintillators, materials that emit light when exposed to ionizing radiation. We expose a variety of common (and not-so-common) scintillators to an intense Cs-137 source and look at the light that comes out. Scintillators can be characterized in many ways, but some of the most important properties include light intensity, spectrum (or color), and time response. Different properties are important for different applications. A few essential applications are discussed. Scintillators are truly remarkable and remain an important research frontier in nuclear engineering. What's your favorite scintillator? Do you have questions or want to share something additional? Feel free to engage in the comments.For more great nuclear technical videos from the NE faculty at the University of New Mexico, please visit my colleague Chris Perfetti here: youtube.com/channel/UCY5CCBECGHM3Fb4ixZ6CH0gFor more Nuclear Science Week festivities, visit NuclearScienceWeek.org.To see what we're up to in the Trinity Section of the American Nuclear Society, visit us at local.ans.org/trinity.
Detecting radiation with a snow globe Carl Willis 2021-10-18 | The static charges that build up on a decorative snowglobe are dissipated when a strong radiation source is brought near, causing the polystyrene balls clinging to the face to fall off. This phenomenon was exploited in a class of commercial radiation detectors sold as "fallout detectors" during the Cold War, which were triboelectrically charged by shaking plastic balls in a tube made of dissimilar material. Typical instructions warned the user to "seek shelter when balls drop." Finally, we illustrate the use of a strong radiation source in an antique Walkie RecordAll dictaphone to dissipate static charges on the plastic band recording medium that would cause dust to stick to it.For more great nuclear technical videos from the NE faculty at the University of New Mexico, please visit my colleague Chris Perfetti here: youtube.com/channel/UCY5CCBECGHM3Fb4ixZ6CH0gFor more Nuclear Science Week festivities, visit NuclearScienceWeek.org.To see what we're up to in the Trinity Section of the American Nuclear Society, visit us at local.ans.org/trinity.
Listening to radiation with a microphone Carl Willis 2020-12-16 | This video demonstrates the use of a condenser microphone to detect alpha particles from a variety of fairly intense sealed alpha sources. I explain why the mic is sensitive to radiation, and compare its (unintended) behavior as a radiation detector to that of purpose-designed radiation detectors that measure ionization. More details follow below:THE MICROPHONE depicted in this video is the S3-47 sold in kit form by Microphone-Parts.com. It contains a clone of the Neumann K47 condenser capsule biased at about 60 volts and a preamplifier with a JFET impedance converter. Obviously, I have intended uses for the microphone besides just demonstrating this interesting radiation effect. I found the kit to be well-designed and very easily assembled.OTHER MICROPHONES: I have observed this effect in a couple other (really cheap) condenser and electret microphones; there are also condenser / electret microphones where I don't observe the effect, probably because the grille or the internal capsule design blocks alpha radiation. I am sure this effect works better in principle if the grille is removed but I haven't tried that yet--there is a strong likelihood of electronic noise in designs where the grille forms a Faraday cage around the capsule. The effect will not work at all with dynamic / ribbon / carbon microphones as these work on completely different principles.OTHER RADIATION SOURCES: Will this work with beta and gamma sources or x-rays? In principle, yes; however, the microphone capsule's geometry strongly favors high-LET radiations (and even for these, is far from optimal). In my attempts to detect beta and gamma sources I have not been successful.
A particularly dangerous radium quack cure from 1920 Carl Willis 2020-10-24 | A century ago, radium was the most valuable substance on Earth and was in high demand for revolutionary medical uses (particularly, external radiation therapy for cancers). But quacks also had a field day, selling everything from toothpaste to suppositories having radium as the supposedly active ingredient. In this video, we take an in-depth look at a type of device called an "emanator" that was designed to charge drinking water with radon and was definitely on the more radioactive side. Sales pitches compared such water to "liquid sunshine", suggesting that by bringing a powerful source of radiation inside the body, the beneficial effects that normally obtained only on the skin would be delivered in heightened intensity throughout the organism. While radium quackery has gone the way of the dodo, the cultural appeal of quackery in general has not, and people continue to be drawn to dangerous, unscientific products and ideas--particularly when scientific medicine offers no simple, immediate remedy for an ailment.
UNM Nuclear Reactor Tour and Demo, 2020 Carl Willis 2020-10-10 | This video introduces the AGN-201M nuclear reactor owned and operated by the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of New Mexico. After the introduction, a typical startup and some power maneuvers and reactor physics behaviors are demonstrated in real time.NOTE: Comments inquiring about Bionerd will result in a permanent channel ban. Some perspective is in order: I get these inquiries by the hundreds, from people who seem to think I owe them personal information, and who treat every space I'm active in as a personal message medium regardless of the topic or context. I will not reward invasive, juvenile behavior.
Atomic Tours, featuring Carl and Taylor Wilson at B Reactor, Hanford Carl Willis 2019-06-12 | This video, courtesy of John Webb (7LandFilms.com), explores the concept of an "atomic tourism"-themed series, hosted by yours truly and some other friendly nuclear enthusiasts. LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS in the comments about any aspect: the style, the substance (e.g., is it nerdy enough for you?), the duration, the editing, marketability, whatever. If I were to monetize such a program here and / or solicit sponsorships, what are your recommendations or concerns? My subscribers clamor for more uploads from me and complain about the dry spells, but I have to face the fact that (A) I am a terrible video editor and (B) traveling around to places and making GOOD videos is not cheap, ergo, I work for a living. Maybe this professionally-cut series idea is an effective new direction for nuclear-themed content on YouTube.This video features Taylor Wilson and me at the B Reactor at Hanford, Washington--the first industrial-scale nuclear reactor used for making plutonium during the Manhattan Project. Public tours are available of this historic facility. The video does show us accessing some areas that are not typically visited by the public. There is plenty to keep a Geiger counter clicking at B Reactor. If you want to see the gamma spectra and more technical details, please see carlwillis.wordpress.com/2016/06/29/manhattan-project-national-historical-park-part-i-b-reactor
Simulated nuclear fuel from Project Rover...one of which is spicy Carl Willis 2019-05-13 | *Thanks to John Webb, 7Land Entertainment, for editing this clip. Linda Johnson operated the camera, and Pippin helped with various tasks, including flashlight and liquid nitrogen refilling of the HPGe detector.*Project Rover was the effort run by Dr. Raemer Schreiber at Los Alamos from 1955-1972 to develop nuclear thermal rocket engines. The project achieved its objective--design and demonstration of high-power nuclear rocket engines with a high level of technological readiness for deep space missions. The engines were tested at the Nevada Test Site, at thermal power levels up to and beyond 4 GW--at the time, the most powerful nuclear reactor in existence. In this video clip, we look at a few pieces of simulated Rover reactor fuel from Dr. Schreiber's collection. One of the pieces was evidently made on the same die as the real highly-enriched uranium carbide fuel, as attested by a significant radioactivity measured by the Geiger counter. We subsequently identify the nuclide responsible (U-235) using a high-purity germanium detector by means of gamma spectroscopy. Enjoy!
Reactor Hall of Unit 2, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Carl Willis 2016-12-12 | Update 24 Jan. 2017: still photos are posted at carlwillis.wordpress.comWe visit the Unit 2 reactor hall (central hall) at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in November of 2016. My video editing skills are minimal and I am slow, so for better material please visit the channel of my nuclear companion Bionerd23:youtube.com/user/bionerd23The RBMK is notable for its circular reactor lid where the control rod drive mechanisms reside and where loading and unloading of fuel occurs by means of a massive crane-mounted machine. In essence, the hall is a heavy-walled hot cell designed to shield potentially high radiation levels while fuel operations are underway. The hall also contains the short-term spent fuel storage basins, fresh fuel storage, a fuel transfer hatch to ground level, and access panels into the upper steamwater communication lines linking the reactor channels to the steam separators on either side. Unit 2 at Chernobyl has been shut down since a fire in 1991 damaged its generators and feedwater system. The reactor is defueled and dry, as are its spent fuel basins.Some highlights of this video tour:0:31 The reactor building elevator threatens to malfunction and we take the stairs instead.3:03 Entrance to the anteroom of the Central Hall on the +20.2m level, where we put on additional PPE clothing.5:02 Central Hall shielding maze7:20 Gamma radiation above pressure tubes on reactor face is about 3.3 mR/h.10:10 Fuel element stringers in the spent fuel pool are locally contaminated and spicy, with one measurement showing 2 R/h.14:16 Discussion of the division of reactor channels between fuel and the protection and control (SUZ) system, noting that one SUZ channel has been repurposed for neutron transmutation of silicon. The RBMK was particularly good for this, and it occurred in Units 2 and 3 at Chernobyl. 14:58 Ascend the scaffolding to the refueling machine operator's compartment and look out the leaded glass window.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant: Unit 3 Main Circulation Pumps Carl Willis 2016-06-23 | Note: Video is available in up to 1440p resolution. Scroll down for timeline highlights. Still photos here: carlwillis.wordpress.com/2016/06/11/2015-photos-from-chernobylThis is a long clip showing the current state of the ChNPP Unit 3 Main Circulation Pump engine halls (Rooms 402/1 and 402/2). Everyone in my group has Geiger counters, so there is a constant auditory assault from the instrument noises! Radioactive highlights are discovered, particularly a floor drain in the north corridor, the Reactor 3 spent fuel pool stairwell, and various surfaces where radioactive dust has settled. Anton comments on the visible light coming from a crack in the wall separating the north MCP hall on the Unit 3 side from the Unit 4 "Sarcophagus". Lots of shaky footage, blathering, and Geiger counter noises to make your head spin.0:05 I stop in the south MCP engine hall to take a few photos, attempting to hold the camera still in the poor light. This is 402/1, the south pump room, on the +12.5m elevation. In normal reactor operation, this would have been a very noisy place with three pumps turning and one on standby. Motor power requirement is about 5 MW per pump under normal load.0:51 We head through the corridor (406/1) linking the south MCP hall and the north MCP hall in Unit 3. Every surface that dust can land on is contaminated with particulate emitters. The north hall is without lighting.1:52 In the darkness of the north hall, Anton, the ChNPP employee guiding us, points out a faint light coming from gaps in the wall isolating the Unit 3 part of the hall from the destroyed Unit 4 side. Before the Unit 4 accident, the two units shared the same hall and overhead crane for their MCPs. Accident victim Valery Khodemchuk is presumed buried on the other side of that wall.2:21 Anton points to a drain in the floor that is known to be nicely contaminated. The Ludlum pancake Geiger counter in my hand is saturated (100 kCPM). Other people play with their dosimeters in the drain.4:08 We briefly step into the VSRO building (liquid radwaste handling) building shared between Units 3-4, where a bag of radioactive waste awaits disposal on the floor. The bag is a letdown as it is not particularly hot.4:50 A brief glance down the corridor toward the west reveals the memorial to MCP engineer Valery Khodemchuk. I take some photos from this vantage point.5:45 Back into the 406/1 corridor to examine the deliciously high levels of radiation in a stairwell. This stairwell runs behind the Unit 3 spent fuel storage pools, now empty, and allows workers access to the SKALA process control system instruments at the top of the reactor vault. 8:00 We walk into Room 419 in V Block toward the location where the destroyed Unit 4 north MCP engine hall is permanently walled off. Along the way, several hot spots are located with the handheld Geiger counter. One of these--dust atop a blue electrical panel--pegs the counter. We visit the memorial to Khodemchuk.
The hottest spot in the Unit 4 control room at Chernobyl Carl Willis 2016-06-19 | The Unit 4 control room at Chernobyl, where fateful decisions and terrible sacrifices were made on April 26, 1986, is not a particularly radioactive place today. (I comment at one point that "this place is too sanitized for my taste.") External dose rates tend to range between 2 and 5 millirem per hour (20-50 microSievert/h), and there is a bit of loose alpha/beta contamination. In this video from September 2015, my group heads to the south side of the room, behind the control panel, and locates a hot spot near the axis 51 marker (western end of the room) where the deaerator building abuts the turbine building. We measure a dose rate of around 35-40 mR/hr there. Likely cause is mobile contamination infiltrating the building from above along this damaged structural boundary.
Radiation shielding for workers at the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement Carl Willis 2016-06-12 | Radiation exposure remains an important workplace challenge at the construction site for the New Safe Confinement arch at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. In this clip from September 2015, we explore the effectiveness of a simple, portable shielding wall made out of lead sheet. The wall attenuates gamma radiation being emitted from widespread, distributed nuclear fuel in and around the Unit 4 reactor building to the right of where we are. Gamma exposure rates are measured at about 5 mR/h on the east side of the lead, whereas behind the wall, they are down to about 1.6 mR/h--roughly a factor of three. The portable lead shields are not the only engineered shielding at the New Safe Confinement site; a much larger concrete wall has been completed further to the northeast to block radiation coming from the "cascade wall" of the old Sarcophagus, where some of the most significant nuclear fuel residues are trapped.
Wall-mounted Plasma Sconce electrodeless plasma lamps Carl Willis 2015-05-28 | These custom, professionally-handmade wall mounts allow easy installation of my electrodeless plasma tubes for use as decor pieces in suitably-dark interiors. They come with the high-frequency, high-voltage power supply necessary to operate the tubes, and they mount easily to virtually any common wall material using a standard aluminum French cleat (supplied). I have a number of these available for sale, along with quantities of green (xenon monoxide) and blue (krypton-iodine vapor) discharge tubes; if interested, please contact me via the comments, at carl.willis@gmail.com, or at +1-505-412-3277. Any wall mount unit may be used with any tube. The tubes lift out easily, and are also separately available at a small fraction of the cost of the complete unit. Dimensional drawings are available.
Amateur nuclear physics: neutron activation of gold Carl Willis 2015-05-21 | Have you ever wanted to make gold radioactive, and ultimately turn into something less valuable (say, mercury)? Of course you have...if your name is Auric Goldfinger, and if the gold in question belongs to the government! Working on a much more restrained scale, this video briefly explores the production of radioactive Au-198 by neutron capture on stable Au-197 in a gold coin, and then we look at the gamma rays from the produced Au-198 decaying to Hg-198 on a high-resolution germanium gamma spectrometer. Setup of the neutron source and coin took place six days in advance of the experiment shown in order to bring the produced Au-198 activity close to saturation (it has a 2.7-day half life). The coin is counted on the HPGe detector for one hour. I briefly show and discuss the features of the spectrum, particularly the 411-keV gamma ray released as gold undergoes beta decay to mercury. This experiment is trivial to do in a well-equipped laboratory setting, but a little more challenging to do at home as you see here. A similar toy neutron source can be assembled by renting a Nuclespot polonium static eliminator (no NRC specific license required) and putting it against a piece of beryllium. Lastly, please excuse the mess in my home! Snotty comments about hygiene in my kitchen, etc. WILL BE PURGED!
Site of the first Soviet nuclear weapon test (RDS-1) Carl Willis 2015-04-25 | In this short video, I explore the terrain at Soviet "ground zero" on the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. Like the Trinity site in the United States, this place is covered in lumps of radioactive fused soil, known locally as "Kharitonchiki". Unlike Trinity, this site experienced multiple nuclear tests over the years, making it hard to learn about any particular test from the radiation signatures remaining in the fused materials present.
Borehole 1007, Semipalatinsk Test Site Carl Willis 2015-04-25 | On a flat, featureless steppe in the "Balapan" section of the Semipalatinsk Test Site are many boreholes for underground nuclear tests. This one, #1007, suffered what they called an “emergency situation” when the nuclear blast below vented through the well. Considerable radioactivity is present in the immediate vicinity.
Lake Chagan (Atomic Lake) at the Semipalatinsk Test Site Carl Willis 2015-04-25 | Video made at Lake Chagan, a nuclear crater on the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan, back in July of 2012 when I traveled there. As I mention, gamma radiation levels reach about 1000 times the local background in Kurchatov as measured on my scintillation detector. The ground is littered with "Kharitonchiki," or chunks of fused sand and rock from the blast. Even though it is windy, this visit happened on one of the first non-rainy and moderately warm days we had out at the STS and I do comment (apologies to any tender ears out there) that it is good weather for a "goddamn picnic" (I recall eating a bunch of cashews that we'd bought roadside near Pavlodar, in addition to the lousy bread and cheese picked up that morning in Kurchatov.) Look down at my shoes at the end of the video: you can see the blue plastic is the remains of anti-contamination booties they required us to wear on the site even though the whole idea was farcical.
FDR visits San Francisco, July 1938 Carl Willis 2014-10-30 | Home movie taken by my grandfather, Seville Chapman, of the president's motorcade in San Francisco in July of 1938. This is a digitized 8mm Kodachrome color print (silent) that my grandfather cut and spliced to include various explanatory title cards. We see the motorcade approach while the president waves to the crowds, hat in hand, from his open car. The nature of the president's business in San Francisco on this occasion is not elucidated, but perhaps it coincides with his "Treasure Island Address".
Herb Andersons piece of the Chicago Pile Carl Willis 2014-10-28 | **TIME INDEX BELOW** This video shows a "live block" from the first nuclear reactor, the "Chicago Pile" or CP-1, built in secrecy beneath the stands of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago in 1942. The block was owned as a commemorative item by physicist Herbert L. Anderson. It consists of a piece of graphite with holes milled for two pieces of uranium metal nuclear fuel. In narrating this video I mostly blather unscripted for almost half an hour (sorry!), but I do touch on the following points:01:48 The uranium fuel emits some radiation, amounting to an external gamma exposure rate of about 7.4 mR / hour on contact with the artifact.05:15 I show how uranium metal fuel is held in the much larger holes in the graphite that were milled to accommodate uranium oxide "pseudosphere" fuel elements.06:02 I mention the various different types of graphite-fuel arrangements found in CP-1, owing to the different types of fuel.06:20 The fuel elements have numbers stamped on them, the significance of which is unknown.07:16 I take out one of the fuel elements and show how it is supported in the graphite. I question whether the acrylic spacers were original or were added later for display purposes.09:05 I weigh the fuel element I have removed from the block.10:09 I discuss the AGOT graphite in this block as well as the properties of the various types of graphite used to build CP-1.12:18 The gamma radiation from this fuel is characteristic of fission products because this fuel has been exposed to reactor operation. We examine both a scintillation gamma spectrum and an HPGe gamma spectrum.18:04 From the gamma spectra we can quantitatively estimate the burnup at about 200 kW-days per metric ton of uranium.19:25 This burnup is only consistent with this fuel having been not only in CP-1, but also CP-2.22:45 I very briefly discuss the life and work of Herb Anderson.25:37 I discuss the origins of the uranium used in CP-1, virtually all of which came from the Shinkolobwe Mine in what was then the Belgian Congo.
Plasma tubes, sockets, and power supplies Carl Willis 2014-01-06 | In this video, I talk about my decorative electrodeless plasma tubes, with several asides where I lapse into speculation about the physical processes that give rise to their various colors. I mention the socket base that I make for use with these tubes. I discuss the Ramsey PG13 "plasma generator" power supply kit that I recommend for energizing these tubes. Click SHOW MORE below for an index of topics in this video.Quick index of topics:0:13 Overview of the xenon / oxygen / nitrogen tube with green plasma0:23 "Recipe" for the green plasma mixture0:28 Beginning of physics discussion regarding the green plasma mixture0:38 Spectrum of the green plasma mixture shown0:59 The suspected role of nitrogen in the green plasma mixture1:15 XeO electronic states and vibrational levels responsible for observed spectrum2:34 Discussion about the base; construction and features3:56 Discussion about the Ramsey PG13 power supply kit5:19 More discussion about the base; 7:00 Close-ups of the arc channel in the green plasma tube8:32 A krypton / iodine tube with blue plasma is placed in the socket.8:39 "Recipe" for the blue Kr/I2 plasma mixture9:43 spectra of Kr/I2 and Ne/I2 plasma mixtures11:05 Ne/I2 tube is placed in the socket.
Collaborative plasma sculpture: Adam Sultan (lampworker) and Carl Willis (plasmafier) Carl Willis 2013-08-15 | Adam Sultan, a Virginia glassblower, sent me this hollow sun sculpture made from clear and colored borosilicate glass. After a number of experimental fills, I settled on a Xe / Ne / I2 fill at 320 torr. In this mixture, xenon contributes a sharp filamentary characteristic because of low diffusivity; iodine (present at only 20 millitorr) contributes a blue color to the filamentary regions and some UV that helps the glass stand out, and it also acts as a scavenger for trace reactive atmospheric gases; and neon contributes the pink features at the extremities. The finished sculpture contains no electrodes, but is energized through the dielectric of the glass by high-frequency electricity (5-50 kHz, ~10 kV). I welcome collaboration with glassblowers! If you want a hollow sculpture "plasmafied", please send me a message.
Plasma tubes containing neon mixtures Carl Willis 2013-04-23 | Five electrodeless discharge tubes containing neon as the principal ingredient are demonstrated and discussed. A high-frequency, high-voltage power supply is used to excite the gas. Electrical breakdown in neon emits an iconic red color under the low-pressure conditions found in neon signs, but at the high pressures of interest in much plasma sculpture, it is more difficult to coax beautiful effects from this gas. Its low atomic weight means it is efficient at dissipating heat by diffusion, making it reluctant to form filamentary discharges like xenon and krypton; furthermore, its characteristic red emissions are washed out in high pressure glows. So, to produce vibrant colors and filamentary arcs, the neon is "doped" with small amounts of other gases and vapors. I show what obtains when neon is doped with (1) nitrogen; (2) oxygen and krypton; (3) 1-bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (BCDMH); (4) iodine; and (5) xenon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
Power supplies for decorative plasma displays Carl Willis 2013-03-17 | This video suggests one easy and economical approach to a power supply for large electrodeless plasma tubes. Such devices operate from high-frequency, high-voltage electricity that must be obtained from a suitable circuit containing a switchmode inverter and a high-turns-ratio step-up transformer. (Alternatively, CW Tesla coils are very effective). The supplies in small commercial plasma globes cannot drive many of the larger custom and artistic displays, necessitating a DIY approach to the power supply...or spending a lot of money. I describe the use of a small encapsulated commercially-available transformer (the HVT-01 from Images Scientific, http://www.imagesco.com/high-voltage/transformers.html), being driven by a DC-powered inverter, the PVM-12 sold by Information Unlimited (www.amazing1.com), to provide about 60W to a variety of plasma loads. The PVM-12's circuit is based on the SG3525A PWM chip switching a couple mosfets in push-pull mode, and the schematic may be found here: http://www.capturedlightning.org/hot-streamer/temp/Old2002Files/2002-02/PMPglobe.pdf
Green plasma in xenon-nitrogen mixture Carl Willis 2013-02-27 | A low-pressure xenon arc discharge turns bright emerald green in the presence of a small amount of nitrogen gas. The glass tube shown in this video is 1.5 inches diameter and 30 inches long, evacuated to a high vacuum with a turbomolecular pump and then backfilled with 1.00 torr high-purity N2 gas and 100 torr xenon gas. The gas pressures are measured by two capacitance manometers--a low-range (1 torr) and a high-range (1000 torr). Achieving a stable green color in an electric discharge has been a challenge to plasma artists for a long time. This mixture of N2-Xe is one compelling solution. I have found no other mixtures with anything resembling this color, including tests with oxygen, argon, perchloroethylene, ethane, carbon dioxide, and alcohol vapors and xenon. (Perchloroethylene produces a dingy greenish-yellow color, but it decomposes in the discharge to form brown residues.) Air contains mostly nitrogen and will produce a less-saturated version of this green color with xenon. Interestingly, N2-Kr and N2-Ar mixes do NOT show the green color. In the N2-Xe green mixture, 1 torr is about right for the N2 partial pressure in my opinion. At partial pressures below about 0.5 torr, the green substantially fades as the pressure drops. At partial pressures of 3-4 torr N2, the filamentary arc characteristic of xenon becomes more diffuse and takes on a pinkish hue, which I think detracts from the green phenomenon. Xe pressures between 50-70 torr are probably right for most decorative applications; Xe at 100 torr is harder to ignite but makes a very kinetic pattern as seen here. Lower pressures of Xe tend to be dominated by some beautiful green diffuse glows. Lastly, the green glow is also accompanied by an "afterglow" in this mixture. It is fleeting rather than the long-lived glow of an N2-O2 mixture, but still easy to discern in a dark room. The color appears identical to the green in the plasma.
Discharge tubes with krypton, krypton+iodine, and xenon Carl Willis 2013-01-29 | Three glass tubes, each 24 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter, are exhausted to high vacuum and backfilled with gases. The tube at the top contains pure krypton at 200 torr; the tube in the middle contains krypton at 100 torr plus a crystal of iodine (vapor pressure ~0.3 torr); and the tube at the bottom contains pure xenon at about 30 torr. Gases are delivered at UHP purity through a metal-sealed system and pressure is measured with a 1000-torr Baratron manometer. The different colors and structures of the discharges are discussed as they relate to fill gas composition--particularly the improvement caused by the addition of iodine to krypton. As always, feedback is welcomed. Thanks for watching!
Decorative xenon plasmas, 20-80 torr Carl Willis 2013-01-15 | Four 500-ml borosilicate Florence flasks are filled with xenon at various pressures between 20 and 80 torr (mmHg) and sealed off without any electrodes penetrating the glass. In the video (after an intro featuring a large 1-liter flask at 50 torr) I show these low-pressure gas volumes being excited by high-frequency (5-50 kHz), high-voltage (~5-30 kV) current capacitively coupled into the flask via a cup of tapwater in which the flask rests. At the lowest pressure (20 torr), xenon exhibits a diffuse, emerald-green glow that fills most of the volume but isn't particularly dynamic. Even lower pressures result in similar discharges that are increasingly dim as the pressure is reduced. At the highest pressure shown (80 torr), the electrodeless discharge becomes challenging to strike, but it has frenetic dynamics, sensitive touch response, and great contrast between diffuse green elements and brilliant-white filamentary arcs. The other two flasks show intermediate pressures at 40 and 60 torr. If I had to recommend a favorite, it would be the 40-torr effect. As always, questions and comments are appreciated!
Xenon plasma tube: Construction and operation Carl Willis 2013-01-08 | I demonstrate and discuss my kitchen-table construction of a xenon-filled "plasma tube" (a glass tube that is filled with xenon gas at 50 torr and excited with a high-voltage, high-frequency power supply). I explain the glassblowing operations, the vacuum system, the gas, and the RF power supply.The discussion is rather rambling (sorry, no script or rehearsals here!), but it hits on some of what I consider to be important equipment and practices in the construction of such toys, based on my very limited experience so far. Below are some more pointers. Advice, suggestions, and questions are much appreciated.The piece of glass shown is an old 3" OD Chinese borosilicate ("chinex") pipe that I obtained free as a scrap. It is full of inclusions and one end of it has a lot of devitrification in evidence. A quality piece of Pyrex glass could probably be obtained new for $50 and not have these problems, but I am a beginner and right now I use what I can get cheaply.My glassblowing advice: The best torches for this kind of thing are the National #3 blowpipe hand torches! One often benefits from the versatility of a hand torch in this work. I use one with a big 40-hole premix tip and another with a small, 7-hole premix tip, frequently employing both at once. They operate adequately from a single medical oxygen concentrator machine. I also use a National 8M surface-mix bench burner fed from tanked O2 in order to deal with very large pieces of glass like the 3" pipe. This is as big a glass tube as the 8M will handle, in my opinion. You can easily spend ten times what the 8M costs to get a ridiculous gas cannon that will blow through 200 cu. ft. of oxygen in half an hour for dealing with even bigger tubes, but I'll leave that to the pros. (In all honesty, stuff much larger should probably be done on a lathe.) Lastly, I use a Meker burner to anneal large pieces of glass. The procedures to make this tube are as follows: (1) Neck down one end of the tube, closing the end and blowing / rotating to produce a uniform rounded end. (2) Make a tubulation to attach the tube to the vacuum pump. I use only heavy-wall 1/4" inch pyrex for this purpose. (2) heat the center of the closed end of the large tube and blow it open, then fuse down, spin out, and true up the end to form a butt seal with the tip-off tubulation; (3) neck down and close the opposite end of the tube; (4) wash the inside of the tube with a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, followed by DI water rinse and thorough drying (5) blow out the closed end of the tube and form a flange for a ring seal; (6) take a standard borosilicate neon electrode (commercially made, cost is about $10), form a maria in its center, and then ring seal that maria into the receptacle in the big tube, carefully annealing afterward.Vacuum system: as I mention, you do not need a turbo pump (or diff pump, or drag pump) to fool around with plasma. However, the turbo pump keeps the system clean and gives a big speed boost at the high-vacuum exhaustion stage of the work. The vacuum gauge can be simple like my little Bourdon gauge, but whatever is used should give an absolute measurement. You could use a Baratron (classy!) or a McLeod gauge (old-school) also.Gas: The noble gases range from dirt cheap (argon can be purchased in huge cylinders at a welding store for about $50 for the gas), to moderately expensive (neon runs about $160 for 250 liters at 99.995% purity, exclusive of the cylinder that you must rent or buy, and the fee to transport this uncommon gas to your local distributor), to more expensive than gold by weight (xenon runs about $10 per standard liter in 250 liter volumes, more expensive in smaller volumes, once again exclusive of the costs of the cylinder and hazmat charges for delivery). None of these gases other than Ar and He will be off the shelf at your local gas supplier, so plan on many weeks lead time and a hazmat charge for delivery. Most distributors will not refill or credit returned LB ("lecture bottle") cylinders, but will still charge you $200 for the sucker. A small, returnable, refillable steel cylinder like Matheson's #3 will cost $300-400 to own and about $0.30 per day to rent. So for hardcore plasma tinkerers, that's the cost-effective way to go. Buy through a local gas distributor: if you buy gas from an online company, you will not be able to return the cylinder for a refill unless you are dangerous-goods certified. Power supply: A high-frequency (~50 kHz), high-voltage (~25 kV) source of power is used for plasma toys. Solid-state Tesla coils, including flyback-style transformers operated near resonance like the one I display, are common approaches.That's all, folks!
Audible gamma radiation spectroscopy Carl Willis 2012-11-22 | Since we cannot directly see gamma rays and perceive their energies as colors as we can with a prism or a grating spectrometer for visible light, they must be observed instead by detectors. Typically, gamma radiation energy data obtained from detectors are interpreted on a pulse height histogram. The features of such energy spectra are well-known: "photopeaks," "Compton edges," "backscatter peaks", "sum peaks", "escape peaks," and so forth, all representative of the physical processes that occur when the radiation interacts with matter in and around the detector. Some of these interactions don't occur at all with visible light. But here's a new sensory direction, inspired by the phenomenal efforts of the Swedish guys at http://www.radioactiveorchestra.com: interpreting gamma radiation energies through auditory means. My own approach is illustrated in this video. Pulses from an NaI:Tl scintillation detector are digitized in a standard NIM MCA over 20-ms intervals, and then in a little LabVIEW VI, the most frequent pulse height is linearly mapped to musical key on a 12-tone equal-temperament scale and written to the sound output buffer on the computer. Low gamma energies and events that deposit small amounts of energy (Compton scattering, for instance) produce low pitches, and high energies produce high pitches. Additionally, my program scales audio volume according to the total number of counts received in the 20-ms interval. High count rates (strong radiation fields) result in loud notes, and low count rates (background, and weak sources) are quieter.Please feel free to suggest improvements or point out ways I might make this work better. One of the major deficiencies has to do with underflow on the audio buffer because synthesizing the output tone waveforms is too time consuming. You can hear some artifacts from this, as well as some undersampling, some popping and clicking, and some other lameness in the audio. I'm trying to make it better, but you should go check out the video TedX talk in Goteborg given by the Radioactive Orchestra guys if you want to hear a professional approach to this idea.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eas4p8Sob9E
Gamma rays from the alpha transmutation of sodium in table salt Carl Willis 2011-09-26 | Table salt (e.g. sodium chloride) is bombarded by alpha particles from a publicly-available Po-210 source called a "Nuclespot". Some alpha particles enter the nuclei of the Na-23 atoms, transmuting them to the Mg-26 isotope of magnesium with the emission of a proton. In shorthand: Na-23(a,p)Mg-26. The Mg-26 is formed in excited states that decay rapidly to the stable ground state through the release of gamma radiation, which I demonstrate being detected using an HPGe detector. The first excited state of Mg-26 decays with a gamma ray emission of 1809 keV and a half-life of 480 femtoseconds by rearrangement of the charge distribution in the nucleus. This is a so-called electric quadrupole (E2) transition. The peak at 1809 keV is the most prominent feature of the background-subtracted gamma spectrum. Another peak at 1133 keV shows up in the spectrum too. Its origin is the second excited state of the Mg-26 nucleus. Both peaks are broader than comparable peaks from natural radioactivity in the background, and I postulate that the Mg-26 peaks are Doppler-broadened due to the high velocity of their recoiling source nuclei. This particular reaction is an important signature of alpha activity in the sodium-bearing salt wastes from plutonium processing. Many other light-element (a,p) and (a,n) reactions are detectable with the 5-mCi "Nuclespot" anti-static source; my favorite so far is the F-19(a,p) reaction, conveniently performed with Teflon powder or sodium fluoride. The 4.44-MeV gamma rays from the Be-9(a,n) reaction are easy to detect even with a sodium iodide detector. These reactions are proof that one does not need particle accelerators, dangerous or licensed radioactive sources, or prohibitively expensive equipment to do some basic nuclear physics experiments at home. (The germanium detector IS nice to have, admittedly.) Thanks for watching, and I welcome any questions or comments. *Please select the HD option for best results on the screen.*
Collecting a spent nuclear fuel fragment at Chernobyl Carl Willis 2011-08-07 | **Please watch in HD format for best results** The area surrounding the incomplete natural-draft cooling towers at ChNPP's Unit 5 construction site is littered with local hot spots that are easy to find with a scintillation detector. In this video, I dig up one of these hot spots, and learn that the object responsible for the prominent radiation is a hard black fleck a mere 0.5 mm on a side. What is it? I collected the specimen and brought it back to the Interinform hotel for further explorations. The CDV-700 Geiger probe measures 35-40,000 cpm on contact with the beta window closed, translating into about 60 milliroentgen / hr and an activity of about 40 microcuries by comparison with other, known Cs-137 sources. Next I illustrate a rudimentary form of scintillation gamma spectrometry making use of my netbook's sound card and a clever piece of free pulse analysis software called PRA, written by Australian physicist Marek Dolleiser. This spectrometer arrangement works on the AC-coupled linear scintillation pulses from the Ludlum 12 preamp, and displays a pulse-height spectrum that conclusively identifies the medium-lived fission product Cs-137 as the nuclide responsible for all the gamma radiation from this particle. No surprise. About the only reasonable assumption based on the high activity (~20 mCi / g) is that this particle is a fragment of spent fuel that was ejected from Unit 4 at the time of the accident there. In color and appearance it is consistent with sintered uranium dioxide fuel, and the activity is broadly consistent as my calculation at the end of the video shows.
Visiting the Khodemchuk Memorial at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Carl Willis 2011-08-01 | Not many industrial structures contain entombed human remains. An exception is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. 35-year-old pump engineer Valery Khodemchuk was buried alive in one of the main circulation pump engine halls in the Unit 4 reactor building on April 26, 1986 when the infamous reactor exploded, and there his body has presumably remained. Life has gone on--almost inexplicably--at the stricken plant: Unit 2 continued to operate for another five years (until damaged irreparably in another accident); Units 1 and 3 outlived the Soviet Union, shutting down in 1996 and 2000 respectively. Workers still occupy the site around the clock but presently are tasked with the challenges of decommissioning the station. Though the years have passed and the mission has changed, Valery Khodemchuk has remained at his post throughout. There is a memorial to Khodemchuk deep within the Unit 3-4 Ventilation Block, at perhaps the closest accessible spot to the room in which he is buried. The memorial, well-maintained and decorated with plastic flowers and bits of candy, is mounted on the west wall of Room 419 on the station's +12.5-meter elevation. According to a site safety document, this room appears to be a facility for the preparation of water filters (probably for the reactor water systems). This video depicts bits of the walk through the station interior enroute to the memorial. First is a section of the main deaerator building corridor, +10m elevation, heading west. Next we climb a narrow stair into a maintenance corridor at the Unit 4 side of the ventilation block between Units 3 and 4. (I erroneously comment that I think we are headed into Unit 3's main circulation pumps, which aren't far away). A glimpse of the memorial is shown at the end, followed by a still of my best effort to generate a composite floor plan of the station from a safety document and point out what's visible in the movie clips. I'm grateful to the management of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant for allowing us in this summer, and still hold out hope that I'll be able to get downstairs in the Sarcophagus one of these days. I relish the thought that on this little walk we came within an estimated 20m of the infamous stalactite known as the "Elephant's Foot", two floors below us. And heck, Khodemchuk probably could use all the company he can get...I imagine that's a very lonely place to be for 25 years. NOTE: This video contains ANNOTATIONS. Please PAUSE the video and read the annotations for a fuller understanding. Thanks!
Radioactive Young Pioneer camp nestled in Chernobyls Red Forest Carl Willis 2011-07-31 | Nestled in the beautiful pine forest south of Pripyat (and about a mile due west of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant reactor 4), this charming Young Pioneer camp offers your children the inimitable experience of lush Polesian countryside, delicious wild blueberries, Party indoctrination, art projects in the Socialist Realism style, and the warm embrace of millions of gamma rays dancing through their tender flesh and bones. (They'll think they've died and gone to heaven!) All the above was apparently true in the spring of 1986, anyway. The camp is sited in one of the regions of the worst contamination from the Chernobyl accident, the so-called "Red Forest" (because the trees died and the foliage turned red from exposure to radiation). Nearby, bulldozers dug trenches and buried much of the radioactive foliage. The camp structures were spared. The forest has since rebounded. In the video, we see an American-made CDV-700 Geiger counter probe (with the beta shield closed) being used to measure the gamma exposure rate near the camp's main building. It is about 6 milliroentgens / hour.
Deer antlers shed near Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Carl Willis 2011-07-31 | An interesting example of the chemical behavior of fission products is provided by a pair of deer antlers on the premises of the former Ivankov Fish Combine, about one mile from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. First, we place a sodium iodide (NaI:Tl) scintillation detector near the antlers. It registers no discernable activity above local background (although it should be noted that background near ChNPP is somewhat elevated). The NaI:Tl detector is predominately sensitive to gamma rays. Next, we swap out the scintillator for a Geiger-Muller tube having a window that admits beta particles. The Geiger tube is an American-made CDV-700 probe. It is very sensitive to beta particles and much less sensitive to gamma rays. The antlers register many times local background on the Geiger tube, although they appeared unremarkable on the scintillator. I submit that the explanation for this effect is the preferential concentration of strontium-90 (Sr-90), a pure beta emitter, in the bone of the antlers. Strontium's chemical behavior resembles that of the calcium that largely comprises hard bone, and so it is absorbed and retained strongly in bone (i.e. it is a "bone seeker"). On the other hand, the other major medium-lived fission product that contaminates the Chernobyl environment, the notorious gamma emitter Cs-137, is an alkaline metal, and the anions that precipitate with the alkaline-earths like Ca and Sr to form bone do not precipitate with cesium. I don't know whether these antlers became radioactive through bioaccumulation of Sr-90 during the deer's life, or whether the chemical processes that brought the strontium there occurred mostly post-mortem.
Radioactive vehicles near the Yanov train station, Pripyat Carl Willis 2011-07-31 | This video was made July 12-13, 2011. South of the "Yanov" train station near Pripyat lie an assortment of abandoned military vehicles, purportedly used for the demolition of the town of Kopachi after the Chernobyl accident. They're notably radioactive even in a landscape littered with contaminated materials. In this video we focus on the treads of one of the tracked military vehicles, illustrating by means of a Geiger counter the high level of radioactivity trapped in the recesses in the tread . The Geiger tube in use is the probe of an American-made CDV-700. This tube is roughly energy-compensated and, with the probe's beta shield closed, provides a credibly accurate measurement of gamma exposure rate. The nuclide presumed responsible is Cs-137 at this point. The treads on the second vehicle visited in the clip measure approximately 60,000 CPM or 100 milliroentgens / hour. Again, that measurement is made with the probe shield CLOSED. This count rate is twice the highest reading available on the CDV-700 itself, so it's fortunate that we are using a better ratemeter (a Ludlum Model 12).
Hand-cranked x-ray machine Carl Willis 2011-05-27 | One hundred years ago, the world's then-largest toy manufacturer--Bing Toy Company of Nuremberg, Germany--listed "fine experiment boxes for Roentgen-Experiments by means of Wimshurst Electrical Machines" in its catalog. The kits included a miniature (but fully functional) cold-cathode x-ray tube, fluoroscope, and instructions, all packed in an "elegant cardboard box" ready to hide under the Weihnachtsbaum for your favorite dimple-cheeked young radiographer. Ahh, those were the good old days, right? When kids actually did something worthwhile with their lives rather than play "Call of Duty: Black Ops" til the rooster crowed! Coal and switches for the lot of 'em...! But I digress. I'm happy to report that what's old is new again, at least in regards to the Roentgen experiments with Wimshurst machines. The machines are sold online for use in didactic settings, and are more affordable than ever on account of Chinese mass production. Couple one of these with a nice Polish reproduction Crookes tube (I have had best success with the deflection beam tubes as shown), and get ready to crank out that radiation! As the video shows, I can manage in excess of 0.3 R / hour a few inches from the tube. And as Part II will show, I can make beautiful radiographs. The next time you are about to exile a young whippersnapper off of your lawn, instead consider introducing the errant lad to a respectable old-fashioned pursuit that's exciting enough to make one's hair fall out: Roentgenography. The barrier to entry is only about $150 over at sci-supply online. Oh, by the way, be careful and all that other mumbo-jumbo.
Easy polonium-beryllium neutron source: assembly, disassembly, and discussion Carl Willis 2011-05-25 | A 5-millicurie sealed Po-210 source leased commercially for antistatic applications is brought into contact with a piece of bulk beryllium metal in the proximity of a He-3 neutron detector, with the resulting neutrons being detected. This assembly is taken apart and reassembled several times in the course of the video, as we watch the neutron counter respond.My objective is to illustrate the prolific Be(a,n) reaction in a concrete embodiment, which I suggest is a (relatively) safe, easy, and inexpensive route to neutrons for contemporary amateur and school physics projects. The "Nuclespot" polonium source is available for lease without a specific license in the United States; contact Amstat Industries. It costs about $175 / year. Bulk beryllium metal is routinely available on eBay in convenient sizes for this type of construction; my piece ran about $50. (NEVER attempt to cut or machine beryllium!)Finally, some evidence is shown about the efficacy of adding more moderator plastic.
Spark detector for alpha particles Carl Willis 2011-05-22 | This video documents a simple but surprisingly effective detector for alpha radiation. (I'm indebted to Tim Raney of Richmond, Virginia for the hard work of re-discovering this concept from old technical literature, and for preliminary efforts to optimize its practical construction using modern techniques.) Alpha particles and other ionizing particulate radiation of high linear energy transfer leave a dense wake of ionization following their passage through the air, which can trigger electrical breakdown (i.e. sparking) in the presence of suitably strong electric fields. In this detector, a close relative of the Geiger "point counter," an array of four thin tungsten wires at ground potential passes over an aluminum plate that is biased at ~6-8 kV negative with respect to ground. The wire-to-wire spacing is 0.2 inches, the wire-to-cathode spacing is 0.1 inches, and the tungsten wire is standard, unstraightened 0.003-inch (0.07-mm) diameter. A current-limited power supply must be used that will not burn out the wires during discharges. I suggest a series resistance of 20 megohms in the cathode lead, made of resistors that are rated to handle the voltage of the supply (e.g. Caddocks). It is also important to limit the cable length attached to the wires (suggested length is one meter or less) so that capacitively-stored energy doesn't produce damaging sparks or damaging HV transients by reflection. Sources of alpha radiation demonstrated in the clip include a 5-millicurie Po-210 source, a ~60-microcurie Am-241 source, and a 10-microcurie Ra-226 source. Other effective but less-dramatic sources include natural ambient radon (patience is required!) and uranium ore. Pure beta emitters, gamma emitters, and x-rays do not trigger this kind of detector.
Collecting radioactive debris in Bayo Canyon, New Mexico Carl Willis 2011-03-20 | In 1944, Manhattan Project scientists at Los Alamos began testing the implosion nuclear weapon concept that, the following year, would be validated with the Trinity shot. The implosion principle differed from the gun-type design using enriched uranium, and was intended to allow neutron-emitting plutonium made in reactors to be useful as a bomb material. Basic physics of implosion were studied by means of radiolanthanum (La-140) radiography--blowing up uranium targets and rapidly sensing the density changes during the events. Today the site of those tests, Bayo Canyon, is deserted public land that is an easy hike from Barranca Mesa in the residential NE end of Los Alamos. Radioactive debris remains for patient collectors with sensitive Geiger counters (and uranium in a heavily-weathered and oxidized condition can even be picked out by eye). I show a couple examples of what I found on this trip in early March, 2010. To jump straight to the part where I put stuff in front of the Geiger counter and make it crackle, jump to 3:08. More detail can be seen on my website at http://carlwillis.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/more-radioactive-goodies-from-bayo-canyon
Radioactive hotspot in Pripyat Hospital No. 126 Carl Willis 2010-08-25 | The boot we looked at in the last video was hot (~90 mR / hr), but this video shows us finding an even hotter spot among some decomposing firefighters' clothing on the floor. This time, the Geiger counter (a CDV-700 probe with the beta shield closed, operated by a Ludlum 12 ratemeter) starts out showing about 30 mR / hr or 20,000 CPM, but we notice a hot spot nearby where the reading surges to about 180,000 CPM (~300 mR / hr). Ungodly! Although the video is not particularly good, this is the hottest location we found in Pripyat and I really wish we'd spent more time there.
Radioactive garment at Pripyat Hospital Carl Willis 2010-08-13 | A garment found on the second floor of the Pripyat Hospital sends my NaI(Tl) scintillation detector into a tizzy! This hospital served as a triage center for the earliest victims of the Chernobyl disaster. Be sure to see my video of firefighters' gear in the basement. (June 2010) Please visit www.kiev2010.com for more about this trip.
Chornobyls Dom Kulturi, site of the Chernobyl Trial Carl Willis 2010-08-13 | In the summer of 1987, one of the last major Soviet show trials played out in this rather humble House of Culture in the Ukrainian town of Chornobyl before Supreme Court Judge Raimond Brize. The six defendants were all upper-level management and technical staff of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where the worst accident in the history of nuclear power had taken place on their watch a year earlier. Western reporters were allowed to observe the first and last days of the proceedings, but otherwise were prohibited. All six defendants were convicted (I say "four" in the video, but that's a mistake). The most serious sentences--hard labor terms of ten years each--were reserved for Plant Director Victor Bryukhanov, Chief Engineer Nikolai Fomin, and Deputy Chief Engineer Anatoly Dyatlov. Lesser sentences were handed to Yuri Laushkin, Boris Rogozhkin, and Alexander Kovalenko. Today, DK-Chornobyl serves as a small art gallery and historical museum, and the one-time courtroom has been returned to its use as an auditorium. (June 2010) Please visit www.kiev2010.com for more about this trip.
Catfish at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Carl Willis 2010-08-13 | Meet the monster catfish living in the channel that once brought cooling water to the ChNPP condensers. Radioactivity has indeed made these fish abnormally large, by effectively taking their most significant natural predator--the human--out of the food chain. The fish have become a popular attraction at Chernobyl. They have learned to congregate under the railroad bridge just east of ABK-1 in anticipation of food thrown to them by station employees and visitors, as we are doing here.(June 2010) Please visit www.kiev2010.com for more about this trip.
The Pripyat swimming pool Carl Willis 2010-08-12 | (June 2010) For more about this trip, please see www.kiev2010.com
Beneath the Pripyat swimming pool Carl Willis 2010-08-12 | (June 2010) For more about this trip, please see www.kiev2010.com
Physical hazards at the Pripyat swimming pool Carl Willis 2010-08-12 | It's easy to walk right out the windows in many buildings in the abandoned town of Pripyat. The glass is long gone, and the dense foliage gives the appearance of being on the ground floor when you're really on, say, the third floor. Here are some views and commentary from the upper floor of the famous municipal swimming pool in Pripyat. (June 2010) For more about this trip, please see www.kiev2010.com
The Pripyat Claw Carl Willis 2010-08-12 | A large construction claw found in a Pripyat junkyard has remarkably high radioactivity, as measured here with the probe of a CDV-700 Geiger counter. 10,000 CPM (with the beta shield closed) translates into just over 15 milliroentgen / hour on this roughly energy-compensated GM tube. If anyone knows more background on this claw, please comment! (June 2010) For more about this trip, please see www.kiev2010.com
Pripyat bus station Carl Willis 2010-08-12 | We have a quick look around a bus station that last served passengers more than 24 years ago--in the town of Pripyat, evacuated in 1986 because of the Chernobyl accident. The bus station is in a particularly radioactive part of the former town. A large route map still hangs on the wall inside, while out behind, a kvass stand and a drinking water vending machine still stand ready to deliver libations to thirsty travelers.(June 2010) For more about this trip, please see www.kiev2010.com
Highlights from the Pripyat Morgue Carl Willis 2010-08-12 | Near Hospital No. 126 on the north side of Pripyat is the abandoned town's morgue. A couple radioactive surprises are discovered with a scintillation detector. (Why am I slapping my face at the end of this video? Because the mosquitoes are horrendous! Long-sleeve clothing and bug repellent are essential for a comfortable summer visit to Pripyat.) (June 2010) For more about this trip, please see www.kiev2010.com
In a Pripyat kindergarten (nursery) Carl Willis 2010-08-12 | This video offers a quick glimpse of a pretty interior mural at a Pripyat kindergarten (U.S. equivalent of nursery school through first grade). Then we step out onto the tree-covered roof, finding it to be much more radioactive than indoors.(June 2010) For more about this trip, please see www.kiev2010.com
