What has caused this panda-face in a cloud chamber ?

[B0b-A]

This image was posted on another forum , maybe someone here may be able to shed some light on the origin of the grinning-panda ...

The the cloud chamber does not have an applied magnetic field.

The radioactive source is Americium 241 [ from smoke detector ? ].

The duration of the camera exposure cannot be greater than one second (so I am told).

Personally I think the panda-face is an artefact caused by the radioactive source which has a similar size and shape to the largest* ring, but maybe some series of atomic events has created the pattern ? , ( the circular forms in the absence of a strong magnetic field makes me think otherwise ).

(* which is less than 1cm in diameter),

 

[phinds]

My theory is that it has something to do with Ancient Aliens

 

[Meir Achuz]

We are not ancient!

 

[Pseudo Epsilon]

you sure its not a fake?

 

[humanino]

There is the magnetic field of the earth, it could be a low energy cosmic ray. Nice imagination to suggest a panda face !

 

[HallsofIvy]

The great panda god is calling us!

 

[B0b-A]

Americium 241 does emit gamma rays, which can produce electron-positron pairs, which have circular/spiralling paths in a strong ( 0.1 T) magnetic field ...

Electron and positron spiralling tracks

positron and electron being created by a gamma ray which came in from the top of the picture

But the panda-face appeared in a home-made cloud chamber which does not have an added magnetic field.

 

[PAllen]

Maybe it's related to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_diagram

 

[andrien]

Maybe it's related to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_diagram

?

 

[PAllen]

?

It's a joke. Penguin diagram, Panda diagram.

 

[Pseudo Epsilon]

lol,