- 3681 - COSMIC RAYS - where do they come from? Cosmic rays are charged particles like independent protons or electrons. Scientists have been trying to solve this vexing problem regarding the “weather in outer space”. At unpredictable times, these high-energy particles bombard the Earth and objects outside the Earth's atmosphere with radiation that can endanger the lives of astronauts and destroy satellites' electronic equipment.
--------------------- 3681 - COSMIC RAYS - where do they come from?
- These charged particle flare-ups can even trigger showers of radiation strong enough to reach passengers in airplanes flying over the North Pole. Despite scientists' best efforts, a clear pattern of how and when flare-ups will occur has remained difficult to identify.
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- Scientists are using supercomputers to simulate when and how high-energy particles are born in turbulent environments like that on the atmosphere of the sun. This new research paves the way for more accurate predictions of when dangerous bursts of these particles will occur.
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- Hopefully this research will allow us to better predict the origin of solar energetic particles and improve forecasting models of space weather events. NASA's “Parker Solar Probe“, the closest spacecraft to the sun, may be able to observe the predicted distribution of high-energy particles that are generated in the sun's outer atmosphere.
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- The theory is that magnetic fields in the outer atmosphere of the sun can accelerate ions and electrons up to velocities close to the speed of light. The sun and other stars' outer atmosphere consist of particles in a plasma state, a highly turbulent state distinct from liquid, gas, and solid states.
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- Scientists have long believed that the sun's plasma generates high-energy particles. But particles in plasma move so erratically and unpredictably that they have until now not been able to fully demonstrate how and when this occurs.
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- Computer simulations are designed to show the exact movements of electrons and ions in the sun's plasma. These simulations mimic the atmospheric conditions on the sun, and provide the most extensive data gathered to-date on how and when high-energy particles will form.
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- In 1949, the physicist Enrico Fermi began to investigate magnetic fields in outer space as a potential source of the high-energy particles (which he called cosmic rays) that were observed entering the Earth's atmosphere. Since then, scientists have suspected that the sun's plasma is a major source of these particles, but definitively proving it has been difficult. They are particles , not rays.
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- The vast majority of the observable matter in the universe is in a “plasma state“. Understanding how some of the particles that constitute plasma can be accelerated to high-energy levels is an important new research area since energetic particles are routinely observed not just around the sun but also in other environments across the universe, including the surroundings of black holes and neutron stars.
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- Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter. It contains a significant portion of charged particles, ions and/or electrons. The presence of these charged particles is what primarily sets plasma apart from the other fundamental states of matter.
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- Plasma is the most abundant form of ordinary matter in the universe, being mostly associated with stars, including the Sun. It extends to the rarefied intra-cluster medium and possibly to intergalactic regions. Plasma can be artificially generated by heating a neutral gas or subjecting it to a strong electromagnetic field.
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- We hope to understand how and when distant stars, black holes, and other entities in the universe will generate their own bursts of energy.
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- Can computers simulate the transport of cosmic rays through space. We do not know which celestial objects emit the high-energy radiation that pelts the Earth from space. Theoretical models are necessary to explain experimental data.
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- Since their discovery 100 years ago, researchers have been attempting to decipher where cosmic rays come from. The problem is that, viewed from Earth, they look like the sky during daytime to the naked eye, equally brightly illuminated almost everywhere we look.
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- This is because the light from the sun is scattered in the Earth's atmosphere and spreads evenly across the entire sky. Cosmic rays are also scattered on their way to Earth through interactions with cosmic magnetic fields.
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- Computer program can simulate not only cosmic ray propagation, but also signatures of neutrinos and gamma rays that are produced in cosmic ray interactions. Unlike cosmic rays, these messenger particles can be observed directly from their sources, as they come to Earth on a straight path.
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- Scientists can explore new energy ranges in the simulation, They can develop a theoretical model that describes the transition from cosmic rays from our own Galaxy to a fraction coming from distant galaxies and compare it with observations.
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- Hopefully these programs will significantly contribute to understanding where cosmic rays come from. We need theoretical calculations to help us interpret the variety of data we receive from the various instruments monitoring the universe.
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September 15, 2022 COSMIC RAYS - where do they come from? 3681
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