Twelve electron antineutrinos from Supernova 1987A were detected by the Kamiokande neutrino detector in Japan. This experiment consisted of a tank filled with 3 kton of water, and surrounded by photomultiplier tubes. The photomultipliers detect the Cerenkov radiation emitted by a recoiling positron that is emitted after a proton absorbs an antineutrino from the supernova. Estimate how many people on Earth could have perceived a flash of light, due to the Cerenkov radiation produced by the same process, when an antineutrino from the supernova traveled through their eyeball. Assume that eyeballs are composed primarily of water, each weighs about 10 g, and that the Earth’s population was 5 billion in 1987.
Twelve electron antineutrinos from Supernova 1987A were detected by the Kamiokande neutrino detector in Japan. This experiment consisted of a tank filled with 3 kton of water, and surrounded by photomultiplier tubes. The photomultipliers detect the Cerenkov
Estimate how many people on Earth could have perceived a flash of light, due to the Cerenkov radiation produced by the same process, when an antineutrino from the supernova traveled through their eyeball. Assume that eyeballs are composed primarily of water, each weighs about 10 g, and that the Earth’s population was 5 billion in 1987.
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