CERN Accelerating science

Scientific Committee Paper
Report number physics/0104048 ; CERN-SPSC-2000-021 ; SPSC-P317 ; physics/0104048 ; SPSC-P-317
Title A study of the link between cosmic rays and clouds with a cloud chamber at the CERN PS
Related titlePROTON SYNCHROTRON
COSMICS LEAVING OUTDOOR DROPLETS
COSMIC-RAYS
Author(s) CLOUD Collaboration  Visa alla 56 författare
Affiliation (CERN)
Corporate author(s) CERN. Geneva. SPS-PS Experiments Committee
Series (Proposal)
Note 107 pages, 54 figures, more information at http://cern.ch/Cloud
Submitted by 24 Apr 2000
Subject category Detectors and Experimental Techniques
Accelerator/Facility, Experiment CERN PS ; CLOUD
CERN PS ; PS215
Abstract Recent satellite data have revealed a surprising correlation between galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity and the fraction of the Earth covered by clouds. If this correlation were to be established by a causal mechanism, it could provide a crucial step in understanding the long-sought mechanism connecting solar and climate variability. The Earth's climate seems to be remarkably sensitive to solar activity, but variations of the Sun's electromagnetic radiation appear to be too small to account for the observed climate variability. However, since the GCR intensity is strongly modulated by the solar wind, a GCR-cloud link may provide a sufficient amplifying mechanism. Moreover if this connection were to be confirmed, it could have profound consequences for our understanding of the solar contributions to the current global warming. The CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets) project proposes to test experimentally the existence a link between cosmic rays and cloud formation, and to understand the microphysical mechanism. CLOUD plans to perform detailed laboratory measurements in a particle beam at CERN, where all the parameters can be precisely controlled and measured. The beam will pass through an expansion cloud chamber and a reactor chamber where the atmosphere is to be duplicated by moist air charged with selected aerosols and trace condensable vapours. An array of external detectors and mass spectrometers is used to analyse the physical and chemical characteristics of the aerosols and trace gases during beam exposure. Where beam effects are found, the experiment will seek to evaluate their significance in the atmosphere by incorporating them into aerosol and cloud models.
Copyright/License Report: © 2000-2025 CERN (License: CC-BY-3.0)

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 Journalen skapades 2000-06-26, och modifierades senast 2024-07-26


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