User:Peggybrentwood

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Peggy Diggett, AP Physics Teacher Brentwood High School

Pictured above: Mrs. Diggett is holding a scintillator which will be housed in a light-tight case. As you can see, any light entering the scintillator panel reflects internally to produce a beautiful blue-ish color. This light is directed out the narrow end, to a computer which reads the energy of the light (photon) entering the panel.

If the panel is inside a light-tight case, how can a photon get to the sciltillator panel???? the answer is simple...high energy photons such as electrons, x-rays, and COSMIC RAYS go right through the case! If two cases are stacked, we can separate electrons from MUONS. Electrons get "caught" in the first panel, while muons go through both, and keep on going....just like the Energizer Bunny. If our computer picks up two "hits" we know we have tracked a muon.

The MARIACHI project links high schools all over Long Island on a grid that will correlate all hits and compile data that will be used to learn more about the origin of these high energy muons.