CROCS
The Cosmic Ray Observatory for Cambridgeshire Schools

  • By Eric Gill. Commissioned by Kapitza in honour of Rutherford, it is carved into the wall of the Mond Laboratory.
  • Cosmic rays shower in the atmosphere and the secondary particles are detected on the ground. Their time of arrival allows us to calculate the direction.
  • The cosmic rays generate a small flash of light in the scintillator that is collected by the wavelength shifting fibre.
  • The light collected by the WLS is converted into an electrical signal by the SiPM and amplified.

This is the home page for CROCS. Start here for general information about the project and to find documentation and other related resources. Use the sidelinks at the left of the page to navigate around the site.

We are starting to equip schools in our region with apparatus capable of detecting the secondary particles produced in cosmic ray air showers. Measurements of the extent and direction of air showers may help to give clues to the origins of the primary cosmic ray particles.

Our project is inspired by the Pierre Auger Observatory and Worldwide schools-based projects. Learn more by following the sidelinks.

To find out how to participate, follow the Partner schools sidelink.

News: The first CROCS workshop will take place on Wednesday 30th November and Thursday 1st December, 2011 from 16:30 at The Cavendish Laboratory. Read more...