The "Webcam" vs. the "Particle Beam"

A web camera is placed into a particle beam to show visually the affects of space radiation on electronics. This video shows the particles striking the camera along with streaks due to high angle impacts. In addition particles striking the audio circuit can be heard and the damage to the camera CCD is illustrated at the end of the video.This video was produced as an Education and Public Outreach product for the CRaTER Instrument (http://crater.bu.edu) that will fly on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission (http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Lunar
• LRO
• particle physics
• accelerator
• physics
• beam
• CRaTER
• space
• NASA

[Zvezdichko1]

Is this the CrATER instrument of the Lunar Recon?

[DrNickAG]

Dear Zvez,

Yes, CRaTER is an instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. It will measure the effects of radiation on living tissue.

[briankwest]

Why didn't we see the dark image before this? Chances are the camera had these hot pixels before this test.

/b

[DrNickAG]

Dear Briankwest,

Thanks for your comment.

You are correct of course and if I had thought of it before hand I would have done that. :) If you take a completely dark image another camera you do not see an unchanging field of bright spots. Also, we have identified the time that where at least one of the pixels is damaged. This is pointed out in the video.

[razzfer]

Nice vid

I'm a bit curious, how do you go about making a particle beam shooter?

[DrNickAG]

Dear razzfer,

Thanks for your comment!

The particle beam shooter is a multimillion dollar radiation facility at Massachusetts General Hospital, so I did not make it :). It is pretty much your run of the mill particle accelerator that is about 30 meters in diameter.

[lovelessinjustice]

aperture science perhaps :3

[SiannBeck]

Particle Man hates Webcam Man. They have a fight, Particle wins.

[freemanx2x]

What kind of particle (protons?)and at what energy are used? Would these particles create trails in a cloud chambre?

[mrthebillman]

Crank up the power a million fold and call it a PHASER!!!!

[jednoucelovy]

Just one nice piece of information a guy from CERN told us during his lecture: the combined energy of all particles circling in the LHC accelerator is equal to a speeding truck. If they need to switch it off, the particles must be directed into a huge graphite block cooled by a mountain.

[routhoula]

say how much power did it take to shoot the camera? and how much would it take to punch through a rock(imagine particle beams that replace drills)???

[SandstonRedneck2]

will a waterproof/dustproof housing protect the camera from this