Cosmic Ray Muon Detection · AI Generator #GEN-1201E75A

Physics · modern-physics

Problem

A cosmic ray muon detector on a mountaintop measures muons with an average energy of

E = 3.0 \times 10^{-10}\;\text{J}

. The rest mass energy of a muon is

m_\mu c^2 = 1.7 \times 10^{-11}\;\text{J}

. When these muons are moving at relativistic speeds, their de Broglie wavelength becomes comparable to the spacing between atoms in the detector material. Calculate the de Broglie wavelength of these cosmic ray muons. Use

c = 3.0 \times 10^8\;\text{m/s}

and

h = 6.63 \times 10^{-34}\;\text{J·s}

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