How do nuclear emulsions detect particles?

A nuclear emulsion plate is a modified photographic plate used in nuclear and particle physics to record fast charged particles. After exposure and development, scientists can observe and measure single particle tracks using a microscope. These detectors consist of silver halide colloidal particles dispersed in a gelatin matrix, much like photographic emulsions.

What we know

• Nuclear emulsions are a modified form of photographic plate used in early 20th-century nuclear and particle physics experiments. [2]
• They are used to record and investigate fast charged particles such as alpha-particles, nucleons, leptons, or mesons. [2]
• Single particle tracks are observed and measured using a microscope after the emulsion is exposed and developed. [2]
• Nuclear emulsions consist of silver halide colloidal particles dispersed in a gelatin matrix, making them similar to photographic emulsions. [3]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat is a particle detector?
• compared withHow does a photographic emulsion work?
• how it workedWhat are liquid-liquid colloids?
• a case in pointHow do alpha-particles leave tracks in detectors?
• whenWhen were nuclear emulsions first used in physics?
• an unexpected connectionHow do particle detectors connect to everyday kitchen emulsions?Nuclear and photographic emulsions share a structural definition with everyday colloids like homogenized milk and vinaigrettes.

Sources

• [1]nuclear emulsion (Wikidata Q2027199) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Nuclear emulsion · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Emulsion · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Particle detector · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Women in physics · CC BY-SA 4.0