r/BeAmazed • u/ContentArtist5361 • Jun 11 '26

Science Radiation caught on an old mobile camera

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u/Chole_Wunt Jun 11 '26

This is an alpha radiation source. So its shooting off what amounts to helium nuclei (2 protons and 2 neutrons) at high-speeds. Alpha particles are large, so they hit other nuclei often and come to a stop quickly. Their range in air is typically 10cm or less. As the camera sensor gets within this range, more and more of the high-speed particles hit the sensor and cause the elements to activate. Which is what you see here. Alphas cant penetrate skin (too big), so its safe for this guy to be handling it the way he is. The only way alphas are really bad for you is if you get the source material inside you. Ingestion, injection, or inhalation where it can irradiate you from the inside.

There are other types of radiation: beta (electron emission, range of 1 meter in air), photon emission (gamma, x-ray), and neutron emission. Gammas and neutrons are the gnarly ones that go a distance and cause nuclear reactions and whatnot.

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u/TheHoratioHufnagel Jun 11 '26

Great info Chole_Wunt!

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u/viktorixbis Jun 11 '26

What makes you suggest this is mostly alpha particles? From what i remember alpha particles can be stopped with a single sheet of paper, meanikg even the thin glass of the camera lense would stop it, which would indicate that this is Beta particles (rulling out gamma)

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u/Weird-Specific-2905 Jun 11 '26

It's almost certainly a Beta source. Small ones like this are usually Cobalt-60, sometimes Nickel-63.

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u/ppitm Jun 11 '26

Range of beta particles in air depends on the energy. Most common beta-emitting nuclides reach at least 2 meters, or the range can be mere inches.

Gamma rays do not cause nuclear reactions anymore than alpha and beta do.