- #1
rayveldkamp
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Hi,
I'm wondering how do we detect protons, and wat sort of detectors are used for this?
Thanks
I'm wondering how do we detect protons, and wat sort of detectors are used for this?
Thanks
jtbell said:What sort of experiment is this for? What range of energies do you expect the protons to have? Do you know the energy in advance (say by producing them with a specific energy), or do you have to measure the energy, too?
Note that measuring the deflection in a magnetic field, all by itself, gives you only the momentum. To get the mass, you need to know or measure the velocity. A mass spectrometer uses a "velocity selector" to ensure that the particles have a known velocity.
ZapperZ said:The most primitive means of detecting a proton is not that trivial IF you are in a situation where there are other charged particles around. This means you have to somehow discriminate between all the other garbage and the proton you have in mind.
jtbell said:Right, that's why I asked what kind of experiment this is. My very first thoughts when I saw the original question were of the bubble-chamber experiment I worked on as a grad student. In the absence of other information, the usual way to decide whether a particular track was a proton, pion, muon, etc., was to measure the curvature (in a B field) at various points along the track, and see which "mass hypothesis" fit the data best, taking dE/dx into account.
ZapperZ said:I must be missing something... Why aren't people finding it "strange" that putting this in a magnetic field would be a valid "detection"? All you're doing is causing the proton's path to be bent... how would this be a sign of "detection"? You are forgetting that you STILL need the proton to LAND somewhere and leave an imprint!
The most primitive means of detecting a proton is not that trivial IF you are in a situation where there are other charged particles around. This means you have to somehow discriminate between all the other garbage and the proton you have in mind. This isn't mentioned in the original question, so it is difficult to know if one is answering for such a scenario, or if one simply has a stream of protons and one just one to "detect" that such a stream is turned on. This latter scenario is easier IF one doesn't care about energy spectrum of the beam, etc. (i.e. just use the fact that protons can cause a large secondary electron emission when it hits a semiconductor surface, etc.)
Zz.
The most commonly used method for detecting protons is through a process called ionization. When a proton passes through a detector, it knocks electrons off of atoms in the detector material, creating an electrical signal that can be measured.
There are several types of detectors that can be used to detect protons, including gas-filled detectors, solid-state detectors, and scintillation detectors. Each type has its own advantages and is used in different applications.
The sensitivity of a proton detector depends on the type of detector and its design. Generally, modern detectors are capable of detecting single protons with high accuracy, making them very sensitive instruments.
Yes, many detectors are designed to be able to distinguish between different types of particles based on their energy and characteristics. For example, solid-state detectors use different materials that are sensitive to different types of particles, allowing them to differentiate between protons and electrons.
Proton detectors have a wide range of applications, including particle physics research, medical imaging, and radiation monitoring. They are also used in industries such as aerospace and nuclear energy to detect and measure radiation levels.