Luminescence of water or ice as a new detection method for magnetic monopoles

Understand

Cosmic ray detectors use air as a radiator for luminescence.

• In water and ice, Cherenkov light is the dominant light producing mechanism when the particle's velocity exceeds the Cherenkov threshold, approximately three quarters of the speed of light in vacuum.
• Luminescence is produced by highly ionizing particles passing through matter due to the electronic excitation of the surrounding molecules.
• The observables of luminescence, such as the wavelength spectrum and decay times, are highly dependent on the properties of the medium, in particular, temperature and purity.