What Are Muons and Their Mysteries in the Alps?

[pesto]

Hi everyone. I was just watching a show called Time on Discovery science where our host takes us to the Alps and shows us a device which counts muons created by light rays hitting the atmosphere. I tried googling for it but came up with nothing, so I was wondering if anyone here might know where I could dig around for more information.

Thank you.

 

[George Jones]

Hi everyone. I was just watching a show called Time on Discovery science where our host takes us to the Alps and shows us a device which counts muons created by light rays hitting the atmosphere. I tried googling for it but came up with nothing, so I was wondering if anyone here might know where I could dig around for more information.

Thank you.

Are you looking for information on how muons are created, or for information on how time dllation/Lorentz contraction explains the percentage of muons that reach the detector?

The latter is explained at

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Relativ/muon.html#c1.

Make sure you click on all the links: Non-relativistic; Relativistic, Earth observer; Relativistic, muon observer; Comparison; Comments on comparison; Vary parameters.

Also, if this is the information for which you're looking, then this thread should be moved to the relativity forum.

 

[pesto]

Are you looking for information on how muons are created, or for information on how time dllation/Lorentz contraction explains the percentage of muons that reach the detector?

The latter is explained at

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Relativ/muon.html#c1.

Make sure you click on all the links: Non-relativistic; Relativistic, Earth observer; Relativistic, muon observer; Comparison; Comments on comparison; Vary parameters.

Also, if this is the information for which you're looking, then this thread should be moved to the relativity forum.

All of the above, with the addition of information about the device itself, where it came from, who runs it, what they're doing with it. I'd also love to see more information on how the muons are created. Thanks for the great link, and sorry if I posted in the wrong place.