Radioactive Contact Print Light Source and Molecular Level Resolution

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 1, 2014

I read that film is in molecular level and have much more resolution than digital. Problem is to manage that resolution. I thought if we use high frequency light source during contact print , We can transfer more information.

XRay , uranium or less dangerous americanium been sold at ebay.

An one uranotype print could be used as radiation source until eternity.

What do you say ?

Umut

Bob Carnie · Sep 1, 2014

Mustafa, make sure you wear your lead lined jock strap when using this device...

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 1, 2014

Hello Bob,

Someone from alternative forum is still making hundreds of uranotypes. I can buy from him extremelly diluted paper and put on film paper combo. Problem :

Does photopaper record that radiation ?

Does radiation make irregular or regular print ?

Umut

Hexavalent · Sep 1, 2014

"Autoradiography" has been used for biological specimens for many many years. The resolution is limited by the size of silver grain and physical nature of the emulsion. Shorter wavelengths of radiation do not necessarily lead to greater resolution.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 1, 2014

Hello Ian,

Would normal or uv light able to transfer from smaller size grain in film to paper ? What is the rate of transfer from photographically recorded grains in film to paper with contact print ?

What would we hope to transfer more in to paper from film with radiation , how much increase ?

What do you mean with physical nature of the emulsion ?

Thanks ,

Umut

NedL · Sep 1, 2014

I say be careful! Americanium is mostly an alpha particle emitter, but it does also emit some low energy gamma rays which would penetrate clothing and skin. Ingestion or breathing of powder would be disastrous and probably cause cancer. I do remember seeing somewhere some homemade "x-ray" images made with film and a radioactive source. They were like photograms, and the images were weak even with high speed film.

Gerald C Koch · Sep 1, 2014

According to the story photography actually led Henri Becquerel to discover radioactivity. He had left several sample of mineral ore on his desk and them forgot about them for several days. In the drawer below them was a photographic plate with a large key on top of it. When Becquerel developed the plate the image of the key was discovered on it.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 1, 2014

Thank you Ned and Gerald,

Turkey have %80 of the worlds thorium ores. I read that there is no risk of nuclear pollution with thorium reactors. I dont know whether it means thorium radiation is cleaner ?

I can buy a rock piece and try on 35mm contact print What do you say ?

NedL · Sep 1, 2014

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
I can buy a rock piece and try on 35mm contact print What do you say ?

Sounds like something I'd try if I had a rock containing thorium. Still, please do handle it carefully: wash your hands and wear a dust mask if it is crumbly in the slightest. I'd start by placing some objects on the film ( a ring, a key... ) in an enclosed metal can. Maybe start with an exposure of a week or so.

Some years ago I built a homemade particle detector, basically an ion chamber. It easily detected lantern mantles that contained thorium.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 1, 2014

Hello Ned ,

If I find it , I can order a slice from lapidary works , it would be clean piece of thin part

Umut

Rick A · Sep 1, 2014

Bob Carnie said:
Mustafa, make sure you wear your lead lined jock strap when using this device...

No Bob don't tell him that, we don't want him reproducing.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 1, 2014

I am 43 and dont want a wife and child May be 25 years ago with that woman

Hexavalent · Sep 1, 2014

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
Hello Ian,

Would normal or uv light able to transfer from smaller size grain in film to paper ? What is the rate of transfer from photographically recorded grains in film to paper with contact print ?

What would we hope to transfer more in to paper from film with radiation , how much increase ?

What do you mean with physical nature of the emulsion ?

Thanks ,

Umut

I'm not sure what you are asking in the first two questions.

In regards to the "physical nature of the emulsion": the thinner the better - ideally the silver grains would be on the surface (some specialized astrophotography films are made this way). The amount of light (radiation) scattering within the emulsion limits resolution - acutance dyes are used to reduce scattering. Reflection and scattering from the backside of the emulsion - antihalation dyes or backing are employed to reduce this.

There are a number of special techniques used in photolithography that can achieve extremely high resolution (16 nm), however they are far from being a simple "contact prints"

Radioactive Contact Print Light Source and Molecular Level Resolution

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency