- In 1912 science concluded that charged particles, called Cosmic Rays, were coming from outer space and not from the Earth below. They were called rays , but, they were not any form of radiation. They were charged atomic particles.
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-------------------- 90% of Cosmic Rays reaching Earth are protons, the positive nucleus of the hydrogen atom.
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-------------------- 1 % are electrons that carry a negative charge.
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-------------------- 9% are atomic nuclei heavier than hydrogen. Positive charges with masses ranging from helium nuclei to iron nuclei.
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- Because any charged particle moving through a magnetic field feels the electromagnetic force at right angles to its direction of travel, it does not travel in a straight line. ( This is why an electric motor works.) Cosmic Rays will spiral along their path of travel hiding any indication of the direction in which they originated. One hundred years later and astronomers are still not sure of the source, or sources, of Cosmic Rays. The candidates range from Gamma Ray Bursts, to Supernovae, to Blackholes.
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- Some Cosmic Rays originate from our Sun’s Solar Flares. These charged particles, protons and electrons, reach our upper atmosphere traveling at 1,000,000 miles per hour (300 miles per second). The Kinetic Energy of these fast moving particles is 0.01 billion electron-volts. We call this the Solar Wind and we give the name Cosmic Rays to much higher energy particles.
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- Most Cosmic Rays have energy levels ranging form 10 million to 10 billion electron-volts. ( 10^7 to 10^10 eV). And, most Cosmic Rays originate in a source inside our Milky Way Galaxy.
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- Galactic Cosmic Rays are so common about 10 of them pass through your thumb every minute.
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- If you are above the Earth’s atmosphere about 500 Cosmic Rays would pass through your thumb every minute.
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- Galactic Cosmic Rays can have energies as great as 10^18 electron volts, ( a billion, billion eV). These charged particles are heavier and are traveling very near the speed of light.
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- Supernovae explosions in our Galaxy could be a likely sources of high energy Cosmic Rays.
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- A few Cosmic Rays coming from outside our Galaxy have been detected with energies up to 100,000,000,000 billion electron volts, ( 10^20 eV). This amount of energy is equivalent to being hit by a tennis ball traveling at 100 miles per hour. However, the mass of these subatomic particles is exceedingly small. To have this amount of energy the are traveling 699,000,000 miles per hour. Kinetic Energy is equal to mass times velocity squared. ( KE = ½*m*v^2)
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- When a Cosmic Ray enters our atmosphere it collides with gas atoms and produces a shower of subatomic particles that reach the surface of Earth.
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- A Cosmic Ray proton collides with a nitrogen nucleus producing a neutron, a positive pion, a negative pion, and a neutral pion. Pions and Mesons are collective names given to elementary particles that have strong interactions with other particles. The negative pion splits into an anti-neutrino and a negative Muon. A Muon is a high energy electron. The positive pion splits into a neutrino and a positive Muon. A neutral pion releases Gamma Rays and produces electrons and anti-electrons. All of these subatomic particles comprise a shower of particles that reach the surface of Earth. The shower can be spread out over an area of 30 square kilometers.
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- The highest energy Cosmic Rays ( > 10^18 eV) are most likely heavier nuclei. An iron nuclei has 26 protons. 26 times the mass of a single proton and also 26 times as much positive charge making it accelerate even faster in a magnetic field.
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- 100 years of study and science is still trying to learn where Cosmic Rays come from? What effects do they have on Earth and on life? Theories are that they may be responsible for DNA mutations that have created the diversity of life we find on Earth? Other theories are that they are responsible for creation of the cloud formations in Earth’s atmosphere. There is nothing like a 100 year old mystery to keep you thinking. An announcement will be made shortly, stay tuned.
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(1) To learn more about Cosmic Rays request Reviews # 1377, #810, #763, #687, #541 to get an e-mail copy.
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RSVP, please reply with a number to rate this review: #1- learned something new. #2 - Didn’t read it. #3- very interesting. #4- Send another review #___ from the index. #5- Keep em coming. #6- I forwarded copies to some friends. #7- Don‘t send me these anymore! #8- I am forwarding you some questions? Index is available with email and with requested reviews at http://jdetrick.blogspot.com/ Please send feedback, corrections, or recommended improvements to: jamesdetrick@comcast.net.
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707-536-3272, Saturday, July 21, 2012
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