This is a legit concern because unlike astronomy, whose chief concern with telescope is NOT to point it towards the sun, an amateur particle physicists may have to consider the following risks:
HAZARDS AND RISKS OF DIY PARTICLE PHYSICS
- Working with hazardous chemicals: Some chemicals used in cloud chamber experiments are known poisons while others may be flammable or toxic, or both. (Examples: methanol (methyl-alcohol), lead, cadmium or other toxic heavy metals)
- Fire/explosion risks from supersaturated alcohol vapours: If an electric spark occurs in a cloud chamber in operation (probably a short from its high-voltage sweep field terminals), the result may be catastrophic.
- Gaseous suffocation: Usage of dry ice in an enclosed space (probably an attempt to reduce air draft) may result in accidental suffocation due to increase of carbon dioxide concentration from subliming dry ice.
- Frostbite from working with dry ice as refrigerant for diffusion type cloud chambers.
- Electric shocks from accidental contact with high voltage generators. If the generator produces voltage exceeding 20 kV, this will be dangerous as it arcs through air easily particularly if it packs a high quantity of charges (eg. discharge from a capacitor or a VDG machine with very large surface area).
- Radiation risk: Yes, this is an actual risk only if: (1) you are attempting to create a beam of X-rays or charged particles in vacuum and did not figure out a way to dump or shield them properly. (2) you are playing with high level radioactive sources and doesn't know how to contain it, or having the wisdom not to crush alpha-emitting isotopes into powder.
RISK MANAGEMENT
This section will be updated soon.
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