Engineering
3. Detecting Cosmic Rays
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A cosmic ray detector identical to the ones in CRaTER. A fingertip is shown for scale. (Andrew Jordan) |
Cosmic rays are subatomic particles, so they can only be detected by special equipment. To do this, CRaTER has six detectors made of silicon. When a cosmic ray hits or passes through the detector, it creates a small electrical current in the silicon. A computer records the amount of current created.
This information tells us how many cosmic rays hit the six detectors. Every time we see a "blip" of current, we know CRaTER has detected a cosmic ray. By analyzing the blip, we can also estimate the cosmic ray's type and speed.
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