A simple setup to measure muon lifetime and electron energy spectrum of muon decay and its Monte Carlo simulation

TL;DR

This paper presents a simple, cost-effective experimental setup for measuring muon lifetime and electron energy spectra, validated by Monte Carlo simulations, aimed at educational use.

Contribution

It introduces an accessible, open-source hardware and software system for muon decay measurements suitable for instructional purposes.

Findings

Experimental results match Monte Carlo simulations

System effectively measures muon lifetime and energy spectrum

Open hardware/software enhances educational engagement

Abstract

We designed a simple setup to measure the muon lifetime and the electron energy spectra of muon decay. A low cost coincidental circuit was designed to select the signals of muon decay events detected by a plastic scintillator detector. It triggered a digital oscilloscope to record the signals of muon decay events for measuring the muon lifetime and electron energy spectrum. A Landau-distribution energy loss method was introduced to conduct the energy calibration of the system. The experimental results were well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation. The software and hardware of the system are completely open to students, thus more helpful for instruction and motivation.