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Why Are We Bombarded by Muons? Muons are unstable subatomic particles that decay to electrons with a mean lifetime of 2.2s. They are produced when cosmic rays bombard the upper atmosphere about km above the earth's surface, and they travel very close to the speed of light. The problem we want to address is why we see any of them at the earth's surface. (a) What is the greatest distance a muon could travel during its 2.2渭蝉lifetime? (b) According to your answer in part (a), it would seem that muons could never make it to the ground. But the 2.2-碌s lifetime is measured in the frame of the muon, and muons are moving very fast. At a speed of 0.999c, what is the mean lifetime of a muon as measured by an observer at rest on the earth? How far would the muon travel in this time? Does this result explain why we find muons in cosmic rays? (c) From the point of view of the muon, it still lives for only 2.2s, so how does it make it to the ground? What is the thickness of the 10 km of atmosphere through which the muon must travel, as measured by the muon? Is it now clear how the muon is able to reach the ground?

Short Answer

Expert verified

(a) The greatest distance a muon can travel is 0.66km.

(b) The mean lifetime of a muon as measured by an observer at rest on the earth is 4.92*10-5s. And the muon travels 14.8km in this time.

(c) The thickness of the10 km of atmosphere through which the muon must travel is 447.1m.

Step by step solution

01

Formulas used to solve the question

Time interval:

t=t01-v2c2 (1)

Length:

l=l01-v2c2 (2)

Gamma:

=1-v2c2 (3)

02

Determine the greatest distance a muon can travel

Given: mean lifetime0=2.2渭蝉

thicknessl0=10km

speedv=0.999c

The distance a muon can travel is given as,

s0=v0=0.999c*2.2s=659.34m0.66km

03

Determine the mean lifetime of a muon and the distance travelled

Calculate the value of gamma,

=1-0.999c2c2=0.04471

The mean lifetime can be calculated as,

=0=2.20.04471=4.92*10-5s

Now, determine the distance travelled

s=惫蟿=0.999c*4.92*10-5=14745.24m14.8km

04

Determine the thickness of the   km of atmosphere

The length contraction occurs for the objects travelling at speed close to the speed of light. Since out muon is travelling at nearly the speed of light, the thickness of the atmosphere is measured as:

l=l0=10*0.04471=447.1m

As calculated in part (a), the distance the muon can travel from its frame of reference is 0.66km. Compare the result to the result of the above part, the distance it travels in its frame of reference is less than that and hence, it can make it to the ground.

Thus, the greatest distance a muon can travel is 0.66km . The mean lifetime of a muon as measured by an observer at rest on the earth is 4.92*10-5s. And the muon travels in this time. The thickness of the 10 km of atmosphere through which the muon must travel is 447.1m.

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