Re: Thinking About A Geiger Counter

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

At 10:10 AM 11/6/2005, you wrote:
> Original poster: Skip Malley <skip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> I would like to point out that Geiger counters count particles from 
> decaying Uranium atoms.  X-rays are not measured by Geiger 
> counters.  I was a bit tired and it was a bit late when I used the 
> gamma rays words in my comment.  That was a mistake.  Please allow 
> me to correct and restate my original comments a bit more correctly.


Still incorrect...


> CORRECTED below.
>
> A Geiger counter measures particles released from decaying Uranium 
> atoms and has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the energy released from 
> a Tesla coil.  Any x-ray or other emissions from a Tesla coil are 
> not measurable by a Geiger counter.

The preceding statement is incorrect.

Any ionizing radiation of sufficient energy (including X-rays) will 
trigger a click on a geiger counter. As far as the GM tube is 
concerned it's a photon of sufficient energy, whether you call it a 
gamma ray, a cosmic ray, or an xray is just a matter of the energy.

GM tubes are also sensitive to particle type radiation (i.e. alpha 
particles (He nuclei) and beta particles (electrons or positrons), as 
well as various and sundry other ions). As long as they have enough 
energy to knock another ion off in the gas in the GM tube, which then 
avalanches making the pulse that results in the click.


> Geiger counter measurements are of ABSOLUTELY no value to a coiler, 
> unless you live next to a Uranium mine.

A coiler with an interest in vacuum might find a geiger counter of 
some interest, although, as has been pointed out several times, they 
aren't particularly sensitive to soft xrays.

> Happy coiling.
> Skip