An Answer to the Eternal Question

“What happens when you hit a webcam with a particle beam?”

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A web camera is placed into a particle beam to show visually the affects of space radiation on electronics. This video shows the particles striking the camera along with streaks due to high angle impacts.

It’s not explained why the impacts aren’t localized — is it because of scattering occurring in the air or in the webcam lens? I assume so, and also that the high-angle strike is due to a scatter very close to the CCD, though it could have been from a cosmic ray — you see effects of these in cloud chambers. (I’ve thought it would be a great idea to have a webcam on a cloud chamber, and transmit a live picture, but when I searched to see if there was one I came up empty)

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