Investigation of Cherenkov Light in an Oil Drum with Cosmic Radiation

Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) have been around for decades and have become well understood in their use as cosmic ray detectors. Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs), on the other hand, are still being explored as more viable, cost-effective light detector for counting cosmic rays. To detect cosmic rays by the Cherenkov effect, we placed an acrylic cylinder, with wavelength-shifting fibers coiled around it and filled with distilled water, inside a light-tight box that was able to detect the weak light signals with PMTs (1 and 3 inch), an MPPC (3mm x 3mm), and with coincidence between different detectors. Additionally, we utilized an oil drum with approximate volume of 30 gallons as a light-tight vessel to conduct coincidence counts for detecting cosmic rays using the PMTs and MPPCs (3mm x 3mm and 1mm x 1mm). In this poster presentation, we would present our findings as a comparative analysis between the two different vessels and the efficiency thereof of the same to determine whether or not the MPPC is a viable instrument for detecting cosmic rays that produce Cherenkov light.