Detecting Cosmic Rays – possible student projects

Detecting Cosmic Rays – possible student projects
Birmingham QuarkNet Project

INTRO

Three portable scintillation telescopes, each comprising a pair of scintillators, have been constructed, following the QuarkNet design, in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham. These telescopes can be set up and used conveniently by students to measure the flux of cosmic rays; its dependence on distance between the scintillators, on zenith angle and on height (e.g. on the successive floors of a building). Results can also be stored and analysed using standard QuarkNet software. These telescopes , with worksheets outlining possible investigations, can be borrowed by schools and colleges for student projects.