Demonstration of Strontium Activity

Equipment: Stage, camera holder, source holder, strontium-90, Minipix-EDU

Procedure:

1. Launch the Pixet Basic software and modify settings to the following:
   
   1. Min Level: 0
   2. Max Level: 50
   3. Measurement Mode: Tracking
   4. Frames: 100
   5. Exposure: 1 s
   6. Sum: uncheck
   7. Color Map: Hot
2. Mount the MiniPix EDU camera and strontium on the stage.
3. Keep the camera and the source approximately 2 cm away and click on the play button.

Results:

1. We observe tracks of worm-like tracks which is a result of beta radiation (Fig. 1).
   
   
   Figure 1: The beta particles during 100 seconds of exposure of strontium-90
   
   
2. Sometimes we might also observe alpha and/or gamma particles from background radiation.

Conclusion

1. The beta particles usually have an energy range from a few keV to hundreds of keV.
2. The dots in the result are sometimes the low energy beta particles which do not have enough energy to interact with electrons of silicon and form a long track.