Increasing background anyone?

This is bound to get mixed up with things in Electronics, check both. Physics-specific stuff here, mostly.

Re: Increasing background anyone?

Postby chrismb » Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:32 pm

Of course, Fukushima wasn't the only event those few months back. Don't forget the bl**dy big earthquake - and what strange materials did that leach out into the sea, and/or bubble up to the atmosphere? It'd be an interesting point of 'information', if ever it could be determined - which contaminated the earth's surface more in radioactive substances, the earthquake itself, or the damaged power plant?
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Re: Increasing background anyone?

Postby Doug Coulter » Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:38 pm

Truly. I *think* I started to notice before I posted and before that big earthquake, but yes, it would be interesting to know about any natural causes. People are so doggone self-panicking. And we know from experience that "natural causes" can be darned dangerous all by themselves without human help (or malfeasance). I don't think that excuses human error, understand, just that it's really not always all our fault! And it seems to me that a lot of people grab onto things to use as political input that just aren't appropriate because, humans are messed up, make no mistake about it. So I try to observe the facts on one hand, and what the silly humans do about them on the other -- it's instructive when you can find the doggone facts at all!
Posting as just me, not as the forum owner. Everything I say is "in my opinion" and YMMV -- which should go for everyone without saying.
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Re: Increasing background anyone?

Postby Alex Biersack » Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:51 am

Doug, are you still measuring? I came across this video and thought maybe you know something about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... MOqFUOXqtA

Has there been an increase? Does anyone here know?

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Re: Increasing background anyone?

Postby chrismb » Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:56 am

20121211_Xray.gif
20121211_Xray.gif (10.08 KiB) Viewed 6018 times


This seems quite quiet. It's usually averaging around a decade higher than this in the 0.5-0.8A range.
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Re: Increasing background anyone?

Postby Doug Coulter » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:27 pm

I get an inside-the-lab short term background every time I run the fusor (or nearly). It's been on the low side of late for what that's worth. Most of it is cosmic rays, but I see a little more on my ground floor (closer to the dirt, which here does have a bit of U in it) than upstairs. It seems to stay in a range, and be largely driven by space weather providing most of the daily (or hourly) changes.
Posting as just me, not as the forum owner. Everything I say is "in my opinion" and YMMV -- which should go for everyone without saying.
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