cloud chamber

American  

noun

Physics.

1. 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.

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cloud chamber British  

noun

1. Also called: Wilson cloud chamber.  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

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cloud chamber Scientific  

1. 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.

2. Compare bubble chamber

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Etymology

Origin of cloud chamber

First recorded in 1895–1900