Extensions to Scintillators
From MariachiWiki
Scintillators are used in the MARIACHI program in order to detect various cosmic rays and there resulting particle showers after entering our atmosphere. However, they are mostly used just as a counting source and also secondary way of what kind of power is in a given ray. The reason for it being a secondary component fpr the later useis because the photomultipliers that are used to turn the photons the scintillators produces into observable electrical current. These do not always impart the same amount of augmentation to each electrical output thus resulting in questionable result. Still it is possible to take use of the first purpose of the scintillators by adding an additional photomultiplier to the opposite end of where the first was applied. In doing this you will recieve two signals per charged particle or electromagnetic wave that enters the scintillation material. Then by calculating the difference in time it takes for the signals to reach the proccessing unit you can determine were on the scintilator the particle struck. Now this is for technically one dimensional test as it could only specify to which end the particle was closer to. In order to make this a two dimentional test you would need the minimum of four photomultipliers and because the ionizing radiation will give photons off in all directions it only depends on how many and in which directions you are able to catch them. The four photomultiplier placed on each edge of the pane would result in a flat square where you would be able to see where the cosmic radiation first encountered the scintillating material. (sorry if this is inaccurate please feel free to edit as much as possible)
Innovation
The idea that will possibly result in the the ability to trace such trajectories of ionizing energy comes from similar ideas as the ones above. By turning the two dimensional plane of such scintillators and there corresponding photomultipliers into a three dimensional cube in theory one could use the photons given off by the cosmic rays to calculate the path which it has travelled. All that would be needed is the same materials as common scintillators and the various programs in order to determine the time differential between signals for at least three pairs of photomultipliers. After the third dimension it becomes a little to tricky build such a module in which to observe the particles we wish to study but one never nows what waits in the world of the future.
Why it is Not Been Made Already
Similar modules such as the cloud chamber and wire boxs do exactly what is described above. They are able to depict the path which any charge particle takes without the expense of such an apparatus described above which would cost more than the average scientific experiment would typically run. On the other hand, this page is strickly used in order to give ideas(as you could probably tell by the numerous grammar and spelling mistakes. Sorry.) and not exactly supposed to be the next breakthrough. Rather this is here to give ideas which COULD result in some outstanding equipment and/or discoveries. Heres hoping.
