A transition radiation detector (TRD) is a particle detector using the -dependent threshold of transition radiation in a stratified material. It contains many layers of materials with different indices of refraction. At each interface between materials, the probability of transition radiation increases with the relativistic gamma factor. Thus particles with large give off many photons, and small give off few. For a given energy, this allows a discrimination between a lighter particle (which has a high and therefore radiates) and a heavier particle (which has a low and radiates much less).
Famous quotes containing the words transition and/or radiation:
“When I was going through my transition of being famous, I tried to ask God why was I here? what was my purpose? Surely, it wasn’t just to win three gold medals. There has to be more to this life than that.”
—Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994)
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—Camille Paglia (b. 1947)