How long does the muon live as measured by an earth bound observer?
2.20 μs
Suppose a cosmic ray colliding with a nucleus in Earth’s upper atmosphere produces a muon that has a velocity. v = 0.950 c . The muon then travels at constant velocity and lives 2.20 μs as measured in the muon’s frame of reference.
How far does a muon travel before decaying?
about 700 meters
Muons are created when cosmic rays traveling through space strike molecules in the atmosphere, some 10 kilometers above Earth’s surface. Even moving at nearly the speed of light, a muon should only be able to travel about 700 meters before it decays, so you might think no muons could ever reach Earth.
What is the lifetime of a muon?
2.197 µs
The muon has a lifetime of τµ = 2.197 µs.
How much time the moving muons are longer than at rest?
Moving particles Taking the muon lifetime at rest as the laboratory value of 2.197 μs, the lifetime of a cosmic-ray-produced muon traveling at 98\% of the speed of light is about five times longer, in agreement with observations.
What is the muon paradox?
Muon decays in the Earth’s atmosphere, differential aging and the paradox of the twins. Muons at rest in the atmosphere, decaying simultaneously, are subject to a universal time-dilatation effect when viewed from a moving frame and so are also observed to decay simultaneously in all such frames.
Do muons reach Earth?
Muons reach earth with an average velocity of about 0.994c. On earth’s surface, about 1 muon passes through a 1 cm2 area per minute (~10,000 muons per square meter in one minute). Muon flux is constant over time.
What is the twin paradox according to Einstein?
Introduced by Albert Einstein Through the Theory of Relativity. The twin paradox is a thought experiment that demonstrates the curious manifestation of time dilation in modern physics, as it was introduced by Albert Einstein through the theory of relativity. Consider two twins, named Biff and Cliff.
What is the second paradox?
The second paradox is a bit more technical, and really comes to the heart of what physicists mean when they talk about relativity. The entire scenario is based on the idea that Biff was traveling very fast, so time slowed down for him.
When was the acceleration paradox first presented?
This paradox (in a different form) was first presented in 1911 by Paul Langevin, in which the emphasis stressed the idea that the acceleration itself was the key element that caused the distinction. In Langevin’s view, acceleration, therefore, had an absolute meaning.