The Cosmic Ray Muon Detector · AI Generator #GEN-5E9DAB19

Physics · modern-physics

Problem

A high-energy cosmic ray muon travels vertically downward through the atmosphere at

v = 0.95c

and strikes a particle detector on Earth's surface. The muon was created at an altitude of

h = 15\;\text{km}

above the detector when a cosmic ray proton collided with an atmospheric nucleus. In the reference frame of the muon, what distance does the detector appear to travel upward before the collision occurs?

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