Abstract
IN 1961, D'Arcy and Porter1 demonstrated that when single cosmic ray muons passed through the eyes of supine, dark-adapted observers, a small proportion produced a detectable visual sensation. The effect was ascribed either to the production of Cherenkov light in the eye media by the relativistic, singly charged particles or to some form of direct stimulation of the retina. Interest in the possible visual effects produced by fast charged particles has revived recently, following reports by the Apollo astronauts that they saw “flashes of light” while in translunar flight; these flashes may have been caused by the action of cosmic ray nuclei on the eyes2.
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References
D'Arcy, F. J., and Porter, N. A., Nature, 196, 1013 (1962).
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CHARMAN, W., ROWLANDS, C. Visual Sensations Produced by Cosmic Ray Muons. Nature 232, 574–575 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/232574a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/232574a0
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