Now detects radiation cosmic rays from outer
space can be done by anyone. The way is to download the
application's named Distributed Electronic Cosmic-Ray Observatory
(DECO) into a smart phone.
DECO - application made by a professor of physics at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Justin Vandebroucke - is designed to measure the
cosmic rays that hit Earth. With the application, smart phones can
function like a real particle detector for millions of dollars that exist in
large laboratories.
"The app essentially turns a smartphone into a high-energy particle
detectors. Principle works the same as those used in large
experiments," Vandenbroucke said in a university page.
For astrophysicists, cosmic rays remains a mystery. Cosmic rays are
expected to drift in the universe in a very large number. Astronomers
believe that cosmic rays come from sources that have great energy,
such as black holes or supernovae that exploded.
Applications developed Vandebroucke was only available for the
Android operating system. To activate the detector, cell phone owners
simply download the application and attach two pieces of masking
tape on the smartphone camera is blocking the incoming light particles.
Then the smartphone can be placed anywhere because cosmic rays
can penetrate
the material .
Vanderbroucke make this application as part of the education. "It feels
great when students and the community interested in collecting the
data and understand the particles around them.'s Usually the rare
opportunity," he said, as quoted by LiveScience, Thursday, October 9,
2014.
Cosmic light waves continually break through the earth's atmosphere.
When rolled into the earth, releasing a wave of the high-energy
particles. Most of the released particles are protons. But some also
contain a mixture of other particles, including electrons and nuclei of
heavy atoms. Experts suspect that the particles could reveal secrets of
dark matter is estimated to cover 27 percent of the universe.
One of the particles in the cosmic waves is a muon. DECO detect
muons by utilizing a silicon chip attached to the smartphone's camera.
The camera works with a functioning photoelectric effect when
photons or particles of light hit the silicon surface and release the
electric current.
A similar concept also works for the muon. When muons hit the
semiconductor supporting smartphone camera, he sparked a small
electrical bursts and creates a signal in the form of pixels. This signal
can be recorded, stored, and analyzed. DECO is designed to take a
picture every few seconds and scan each pixel signal particle. If there
is a pixel signal is detected, the application will store photos and record
it.
Muon particles can penetrate most materials, such as ceiling and walls.
So smartphones have applications DECO particles that can retrieve
information anywhere. Vandenbroucke has been tested by operating
the application in long-haul flights because the muon is more easily
detected at a height.
