Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-1991
Publication Title
American Journal of Physics
Abstract
An experiment to study the effect of relativistic time dilation on secondary muon fluxes observed at different altitudes is described in this article. Muons, produced as secondary particles from the interaction of primary cosmic rays with the upper atmosphere, form a natural and abundant source of subatomic ``clocks'' moving at very high speeds. The measured muon flux on a mountain relative to that measured at sea level can be compared to predictions from calculations that take into account the relativistic time dilation in the muon frame. Situations under which such an experiment can be successfully performed are explored with a day-long field trip to a nearby mountain. This experiment has been developed at Smith College as a module in the Five College cooperative undergraduate advanced laboratory course (other participating institutions are Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts).
Keywords
01.50.Pa, 03.30.+p, 96.40.Tv, Laboratory experiments and apparatus, Special relativity
Volume
59
Issue
7
First Page
589
DOI
10.1119/1.16841
Rights
© 1991 American Association of Physics Teachers
Recommended Citation
Easwar, Nalini and MacIntire, Douglas A., "Study of the Effect of Relativistic Time Dilation on Cosmic Ray Muon Flux - Undergraduate Modern Physics Experiment" (1991). Physics: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/phy_facpubs/41
Comments
Archived as published.