How is Frank's work used in modern particle physics?
Today, my work on the Vavilov–Cherenkov effect is fundamental to particle detectors in high-energy physics. For example, the Cherenkov counters at CERN's Large Hadron Collider use the characteristic blue glow and its angular distribution to identify particles like pions, kaons, and protons by their velocities. When a particle exceeds the speed of light in a medium like aerogel or water, the emitted light's angle tells us its speed, and combining this with momentum measurements reveals its mass. This technique, which I detailed in my 1958 monograph, is also used in neutrino telescopes like IceCube, where Cherenkov radiation from muons tracks cosmic events. The glow tells us the particle has broken the local speed limit, and that simple principle continues to unlock the universe's secrets.
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