Re: Cosmic ray muons

[john grant <grantjoh@pacbell.net>]

I think that I did not ask my question correctly.  I am wondering how many

atoms in our bodies are ionized when a high energy muon travels through us.



Is it necessary that ion pairs be formed?  I thought it is just a matter of an

electron being knocked loose from an atom.



The end result I am hunting for is a comparison of a years worth of cosmic ray

muons hitting the thyroid gland and an equivalent amount of iodine 131 being

absorbed in the thyroid.



John Grant



"Jacobus, John (OD/ORS)" wrote:



> John,

> The muon has a rest mass of 107 MeV, and interacts weakly with nucleons.

> When it decays after 2 microseconds, it decays into an electron, neutrino,

> and antineutrino as occurs in beta decay.  Assuming that the maximum decay

> energy is transferred to the electron, the energy would be 206 MeV.  If the

> ionizaiton energy is 33 eV, there could be over 6.2 E6 primary ion pairs

> formed.

>

> The range of a 206 MeV electron is 103.5 g/cm^2, or 103.5 cm in water.

>

> -- John

> John Jacobus, MS

> Certified Health Physicist

> 3050 Traymore Lane

> Bowie, MD  20715-2024

>

> E-mail:  jenday1@email.msn.com (H)

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: john grant [mailto:grantjoh@pacbell.net]

> Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2001 11:57 AM

> To: Radsafe

> Subject: Cosmic ray muons

>

> When a cosmic ray muon travels through a 6 foot tall person how many atoms

> will

> it ionize?

>

> John Grant

>

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