A Compact Two-Dimensional Radiation Detector for Educational Applications

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Matsushita, Chiori, Nukiwa, Mihiro, Atobe, Aoi, Sasaki, Yuzuka, Sawai, Manami, Kono, Rikako, Esen, Seyma, Schwinzerl, Martin, Tanaka, Kazuo S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Matsushita, Chiori
Nukiwa, Mihiro
Atobe, Aoi
Sasaki, Yuzuka
Sawai, Manami
Kono, Rikako
Esen, Seyma
Schwinzerl, Martin
Tanaka, Kazuo S.
author_facet Matsushita, Chiori
Nukiwa, Mihiro
Atobe, Aoi
Sasaki, Yuzuka
Sawai, Manami
Kono, Rikako
Esen, Seyma
Schwinzerl, Martin
Tanaka, Kazuo S.
contents Recent advances in low-cost, portable cosmic-ray detectors have broadened citizen-science engagement in particle physics studies. Imaging applications such as muography, however, remain largely inaccessible because existing detectors typically require tens to hundreds of sensors, making them costly and complex. This gap underscores the need for a compact imaging detector. In this study, we developed SAKURA, a palm-sized two-dimensional muon scintillation detector that uses only four silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and can be built for less than 1,000 USD. Its spatial resolution was evaluated using a 5 GeV/c muon beam at CERN's T10 beamline in September 2024, yielding 13.4 mm along the x-axis and 7.48 mm along the y-axis. The entire study, including designing and testing the detector, and analysing data, was undertaken by high school students, demonstrating that SAKURA makes radiation imaging accessible and practical even for non-specialists with the help of some professional scientists.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_06276
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Compact Two-Dimensional Radiation Detector for Educational Applications
Matsushita, Chiori
Nukiwa, Mihiro
Atobe, Aoi
Sasaki, Yuzuka
Sawai, Manami
Kono, Rikako
Esen, Seyma
Schwinzerl, Martin
Tanaka, Kazuo S.
Instrumentation and Detectors
Physics Education
Recent advances in low-cost, portable cosmic-ray detectors have broadened citizen-science engagement in particle physics studies. Imaging applications such as muography, however, remain largely inaccessible because existing detectors typically require tens to hundreds of sensors, making them costly and complex. This gap underscores the need for a compact imaging detector. In this study, we developed SAKURA, a palm-sized two-dimensional muon scintillation detector that uses only four silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and can be built for less than 1,000 USD. Its spatial resolution was evaluated using a 5 GeV/c muon beam at CERN's T10 beamline in September 2024, yielding 13.4 mm along the x-axis and 7.48 mm along the y-axis. The entire study, including designing and testing the detector, and analysing data, was undertaken by high school students, demonstrating that SAKURA makes radiation imaging accessible and practical even for non-specialists with the help of some professional scientists.
title A Compact Two-Dimensional Radiation Detector for Educational Applications
topic Instrumentation and Detectors
Physics Education
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06276