Hi, What is the flux of fast electrons needed to create the kind of visible Cherenkov radiation seen in pool-type fission reactors?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Advanced_Test_Reactor.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Cerenkov_Effect.jpg Is it a relatively small amount of activity that will accomplish what is seen in these images, or is a large amount of activity required? I assume it is possible to characterize the flux that will lead to visible Cherenkov radiation in terms along the lines of "10e9 electrons per cm^2 per second". What is the typical energy of the beta particles observed in these images? My understanding is that the betas go back to the decay of fission intermediate products. Is it in the MeV range, or the keV range, or possibly even lower? Eric
