Cosmic rays are highly energetic, charged particles (protons, alphas, electrons, etc, with energies ranging from $\sim10^9\text{ eV}$ to at least $10^{20}\text{ eV}$) from various galactic and extragalactic sources, that often interact with our atmosphere. Consider adding other tags to specify the origin you're interested in (i.e., solar or galactic).
Questions tagged [cosmic-rays]
148 questions
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How come I never see cosmic rays in steam like they appear in a cloud chamber?
I just put like half a cup of water in a mason jar and put that in the microwave and accidentally left it in there for to long and it got boiling hot, then when I took it out and let it cool of course the glass cooled much quicker near the top away…
user273872
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What happens to the electron companions of cosmic ray protons?
If primary cosmic rays are made mostly of protons, where are the electrons lost, and does this mean that the Earth is positively charged?
Does the sun eject protons and electrons in equal number?
Anarchasis
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How was the Oh-My-God particle observed?
How exactly was the Oh-My-God particle (ultra-high energy cosmic ray) observed and its energy measured?
Deep Blue
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Observed composition of UHE cosmic rays
How much is known about the composition of ultra high energy cosmic rays (say $E>10^{20}\text{ eV}$)? I get the impression that the particles are often assumed to be protons or other heavier nuclei, but what empirical basis do we have for this? Is…
chase
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Shock when a supernova explodes
I have been reading that when supernovae explode, they produce (Shockwaves) which act as cosmic accelerators.
I do not understand, what is meant with "shock" (partially because I do not study in English), or how it is produced when the supernova…
Mad
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Has Voyager 1 entered a solar radiation belt?
The Voyager 1 probe was sent out in 1977 to go where no man made object has gone before, after more than 35 years it’s still going strong. It’s now 124 AU away from Earth and many are wondering when it’s going to leave our heliossphere and set off…
Enos Oye
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Why do cosmic rays slow down when passing through the CMB?
When cosmic rays pass through space, they slow down. But why? The energy of the photons that hit these particles couldn't just be transferred to it, making it go even faster?
In other words: Why cosmic rays lose energy (thus speed) when photons from…
David A.
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Can the brain detect the passage of a neutrino?
On a few occasions either in bed or sitting around a fire, with my eyes closed, I rarely but sometimes see a very quick fast flash of white and then, with my eyes still closed, the flash disappears immediately. It happens so fast that I sit up and…
user71793
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Is it known what causes the "knee" in the observed Cosmic Ray spectrum?
I've seen many versions of the figure shown below -- the famous Swordy plot. They tend to explicitly point out two features in the CR spectrum, the knee and the ankle. I know that the source of UHECR's above the ankle is currently a mystery. But I'm…
chase
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Is it feasible to measure the energy of cosmic ray muons with a consumer Digital Single Lens Reflex camera?
I have read this article
SIBBERNSEN, Kendra. Catching Cosmic Rays with a DSLR. Astronomy Education Review, 2010, 9: 010111.
and it talks about estimating the muon cosmic ray flux by means of a DSLR camera.
Is it possible to measure the muon's energy…
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How deep would a moonbase have to be dug for radiation protection?
The atmosphere of the earth protects us from cosmic rays and other kinds of space radiation. On the moon, there is little to no atmosphere, so anyone on the surface of the moon is directly exposed to space radiation. By digging an underground…
Ambrose Swasey
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Where do ultra-high-energy cosmic rays come from?
Physicists have detected an amazing variety of energetic phenomena in the universe, including beams of particles of unexpectedly high energy but of unknown origin. In laboratory accelerators, we can produce beams of energetic particles, but the…
Sushant23
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What happens to Cosmic Ray Neutrons at the Earth?
When Cosmic Rays fall down from the sky, they produce lots of neutrons. They are "added" to the Earth system, so what is happening to them?
Do they decay to protons? It would follow that they then easily catch a free electron and form Hydrogen. Is…
Martin
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How can we detect cosmic background radiation?
From what I understand, CMB is the left over radiation from the Big Bang. As all matter, including the Earth, was made during the Big Bang and then as the universe expanded that matter/energy got further and further apart, but as that matter can't…
Azmah21
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How are neutrons produced from cosmic ray particles?
What are the details of how neutrons are produced as a result of cosmic ray particles hitting our planet's atmosphere?
For instance, what is the pathway that creates the highest number of neutrons from cosmic ray particles?
The article "Single event…
Peter Mortensen
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