Fermilab Bubble Chamber Particle Collision Photo

Fragments of the Universe: Inside Fermilab's 15-Foot Bubble Chamber

This frame of photographic film captures a rare glimpse of exotic subatomic processes that were unleashed within Fermilab’s legendary 15-Foot Bubble Chamber. 

Built in the early 1970s, this colossal detector was a marvel of particle physics, filled with liquid hydrogen (at -253°C, only 20 degrees above 0 Kelvin), poised on the edge of boiling by displacement of a giant piston in 1/60th of a second, which superheated the entire 380 thousand liters of fluid. Right at this moment, a beam of neutrinos, at relativistic energies near the speed of light, was directed into the chamber where some collided with the hydrogen nuclei.

Each wisp represents the trajectory of a charged subatomic particle, marked by bubbles that formed where the energetic particle had ripped electrons off hydrogen atoms, creating a string of ions, each becoming a nucleating point for a bubble to form. The liquid-to-gas phase transition is a natural amplifier, allowing the atomic-level events of ionization to become a macroscopic bubble, visible to a camera, and revealing the presence of the trajectories.

The chamber was also subjected to an intense magnetic field, forcing the charged particles into curved paths that further revealed their speed and charge (+ or -). The images of these collisions thus allowed physicists to reconstruct what happened and what new exotic matter was created, and develop insights into the fundamental forces that govern matter, revealing the behaviors and interactions of quarks, charged leptons, and neutrinos, with astonishing clarity.

This photographic frame is an actual data point used in an experimental analysis, a preserved moment of discovery, and a visual testament to humanity’s creativity in pursuit of understanding the deepest mysteries of the universe.

Bonus: This film not only has images of matter, the anti-spirals are actually antimatter! Other than cosmic ray muons, the most abundant antimatter on earth comes from beta + decay from potassium K40. Fun fact: A 3 Oz container of Morton Salt Substitute (KCl) would emit about 1 positron per minute.

Includes one original photo in an acrylic display, plus info card & certificate of authenticity. 

More photos coming soon!