Overview block diagram of operation includes
Circuit diagram of the central detector
PCB Layout of the central detector 96.5mm X 63.5mm
Raspberry Pi Zero W pinout
A note about Geiger–Müller Tubes
I’ve had comments regarding the validity of using Geiger–Müller Tubes for a cosmic ray (muon) detector. Pointing out that Photomultipliers and scintillation panels are best, and yes the are far more effective. However, they are also expensive, whereas Geiger–Müller tubes are relatively cheap and easily available to purchase.
Although I’m currently working on a solid-state detector there are a few issues yet to overcome, so this is still a few months away.
History is full of examples of physicists using Geiger–Müller tubes for cosmic ray observations up to the 80s. Geiger Tube Telescopes (GTT) were used by NASA including many Pioneer spacecraft missions and others. One most notable user was Bruno Benedetto Rossi a famous Italian experimental physicist who made major contributions to particle physics and the study of cosmic rays. At the age of 24, he fabricated his own Cosmic Ray detector using Geiger–Müller tubes and then went on to invent the first practical electronic coincident circuit.
This a part of a larger project I am developing and this proof of concept instaltion was a finalist in the 2017 Hackaday Prize competition.
https://hackaday.io/prize
https://hackaday.io/project/16568-cosmic-array
Winner of 2 semifinalist prizes
- https://hackaday.io/list/21839-thp-2017-semifinalists-design-your-concept
- https://hackaday.io/list/25542-thp-2017-semifinalists-internet-of-useful-things
News Stories:
http://www.glamadelaide.com.au/main/the-invisible-becomes-visible-at-the-torrens-this-september/
http://hackaday.com/2017/06/09/hackaday-prize-entry-cosmic-particle-detector-is-citizen-science-disguised-as-art/
https://blog.adafruit.com/2017/06/20/when-you-want-an-amazing-display-of-muons-citizenscience/