What is used to measure the radiation on Mars?
Terry McDowell Intermediate High School Millcreek School District Erie, PA ANSWER: The short answer: The MARIE instrument. The long answer: The MARIE instrument uses two types of detectors. The first is a silicon based detector which is much like the integrated circuits in your computer. When a charged particle (radiation) hits the sensor it creates an electronic pulse which we measure. The pulse height (voltage) tells us how much energy was deposited in the sensor. The second type is a photomultiplier tube used with a scintillation crystal. When a charged particle hits the scintillation crystal, it emits a photon of light (a small flash). The photomultiplier tube reacts to the flash and emits a pulse which we measure much like the previous sensor. Paul Delaune MARIE Project Manager NASA Johnson Space Flight Center QUESTION: Hello I teach a computer software class at a High School, and I was wondering what kind of software you use on the Odyssey, so that I may have a class discussion.
