Dr. Eric Benton's group is involved in a broad range of research concerning ionizing radiation and its effects on matter, especially as it relates to human health and safety. Current research efforts are concentrated in three distinct areas: 1) the radiation protection of space crews during long duration missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and on future human missions to the Moon and Mars, 2) proton and heavy ion cancer therapy, and 3) the role of cosmic radiation in lightning initiation. The laboratory is not only a research laboratory, but also a teaching laboratory. Undergraduate and graduate level courses in radiation detection and measurement make use of the lab’s equipment for demonstrations and student experiments. In addition, the laboratory is home to a number of student-led efforts to develop inexpensive, easy-to-build instruments and experiments for use by high school and undergraduate college students studying physics and related disciplines.
Related Facilities/Groups
- The E.V. Benton Radiation Physics Laboratory