cloud chamber
noun Physics.
an apparatus for determining the movements of charged particles, consisting of a chamber containing a supersaturated mixture of gas and vapor, the vapor condensing around ions created by the particle in its passing, thereby revealing the path of the particle.
Also called
expansion chamber,
Wilson cloud chamber.
Compare
bubble chamber.
Origin of cloud chamber
First recorded in 1895–1900
Words nearby cloud chamber
cloture,
clou,
cloud,
cloud banner,
cloud base,
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cloud computing,
cloud cover,
cloud ear,
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cloud forest
British Dictionary definitions for cloud chamber
cloud chamber
noun
physics
an apparatus for detecting high-energy particles by observing their tracks through a chamber containing a supersaturated vapour. Each particle ionizes molecules along its path and small droplets condense on them to produce a visible track
Also called: Wilson cloud chamber
Scientific definitions for cloud chamber
cloud chamber
A device used to observe the movements of charged atomic and subatomic particles, such as ions, electrons, or muons. Cloud chambers consist of a closed container filled with a gas that is on the verge of condensing. Charged particles passing through the gas ionize the atoms in their path, forming visible lines of condensation. Compare bubble chamber.