"The cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles that move through space at nearly the speed of light."
High-energy particles that originate outside the solar system and constantly bombard the Earth's atmosphere.
High-Energy Physics: The study of particles that are highly energetic, such as cosmic rays.
Particle Accelerators: Devices used to accelerate charged particles to high energies.
Particle Detectors: Instruments used to detect and measure the properties of particles produced in high-energy physics experiments.
Cosmic Ray Astrophysics: The study of the properties and origins of cosmic rays from the perspective of astrophysics.
Particle Interactions: The ways in which particles interact with each other, including collisions, scattering, and decay.
Quantum Mechanics: The branch of physics that describes the behavior of particles at the smallest scales.
Relativity: The theory of physics that explains the behavior of objects moving at high speeds or in strong gravitational fields.
Neutrinos: Subatomic particles that can pass through matter without interacting with it, making them difficult to detect.
Muons: Subatomic particles similar to electrons but much heavier, with a mass about 200 times that of the electron.
Cosmic Ray Shower: The cascade of particles produced when a cosmic ray interacts with the earth's atmosphere.
Cosmic Ray Spectrum: The distribution of the energies of cosmic rays.
Cosmic Ray Composition: The types of particles that make up cosmic rays, including protons, electrons, and muons.
Cosmic Ray Sources: The objects or processes that produce cosmic rays, such as supernovae, black holes, and active galactic nuclei.
Cosmic Ray Propagation: The way in which cosmic rays travel through space and interact with magnetic fields and interstellar gas.
Dark Matter: Unknown particles that are thought to make up a large fraction of the matter in the universe, and that may be detectable through cosmic rays.
Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays: Cosmic rays with energies above 10^18 electronvolts, which are difficult to explain with current models.
Cosmic Ray Anisotropy: The variation in the arrival directions and intensities of cosmic rays across the sky.
Cosmic Ray Modulation: The changes in cosmic ray intensity and spectra due to variations in the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic fields.
Heliospheric Physics: The study of the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium, which affects cosmic ray propagation.
Global Atmospheric Electricity: The electric currents and fields produced in the Earth's atmosphere by cosmic rays and other sources.
Protons: These are the most common type of cosmic rays and are highly energetic particles that carry a positive charge.
Electrons: These are subatomic particles that carry a negative charge and are often associated with cosmic rays and radiation.
Alpha Particles: These are atomic nuclei that consist of two protons and two neutrons and are highly energetic.
Neutrons: These are subatomic particles that carry no electric charge and are highly energetic.
Helium Nuclei: These are atomic nuclei that consist of two protons and two neutrons and carry a positive charge.
Gamma Rays: These are highly energetic photons that are emitted by radioactive atoms, nuclear explosions, and other high-energy processes.
Positrons: These are subatomic particles that carry a positive charge and are the antiparticle of electrons.
Muons: These are subatomic particles that are similar to electrons but are more massive and have a shorter lifespan.
Neutrinos: These are subatomic particles that have no electric charge and interact very weakly with matter.
Cosmic Rays Nuclei: These are atomic nuclei that are highly energetic and have been accelerated to very high speeds by cosmic events such as supernovae and black holes.
"They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own galaxy, and from distant galaxies."
"Upon impact with Earth's atmosphere, cosmic rays produce showers of secondary particles, some of which reach the surface."
"The bulk is deflected off into space by the magnetosphere or the heliosphere."
"Cosmic rays were discovered by Victor Hess in 1912 in balloon experiments."
"For which he was awarded the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics."
"Direct measurement of cosmic rays, especially at lower energies, has been possible since the launch of the first satellites in the late 1950s."
"Particle detectors similar to those used in nuclear and high-energy physics are used on satellites and space probes for research into cosmic rays."
"Data from the Fermi Space Telescope (2013) have been interpreted as evidence that a significant fraction of primary cosmic rays originate from the supernova explosions of stars."
"Based on observations of neutrinos and gamma rays from blazar TXS 0506+056 in 2018, active galactic nuclei also appear to produce cosmic rays."
"...high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei)..."
"...move through space at nearly the speed of light."
"The bulk is deflected off into space by the magnetosphere or the heliosphere."
"Upon impact with Earth's atmosphere, cosmic rays produce showers of secondary particles..."
"...used on satellites and space probes for research into cosmic rays."
"Data from the Fermi Space Telescope (2013) have been interpreted as evidence..."
"They originate from... distant galaxies."
"Direct measurement... has been possible since the launch of the first satellites in the late 1950s."
"...from outside of the Solar System in our own galaxy, and from distant galaxies."
"Particle detectors similar to those used in nuclear and high-energy physics are used... for research into cosmic rays."