Applied Physics:-Cosmic Rays: Name GR - NO. Roll No

APPLIED PHYSICS:-COSMIC RAYS
NAME GR.NO. ROLL NO.

RAJ.BHANDARI 11810876 04
HEMANT.CHAUDHARY 1181115 05
ABHISHEK.CHAVAN 11810102 06
MAYURESH.CHOUDHARY 11811031 08
OMKAR.GANDHAL 11810510 13
GIRIRAJ.KOKARE 11811132 22
What is a cosmic Ray?
• A cosmic ray is a high-speed particle
• Could be an electron
• Could be an atomic nucleus like hydrogen or
helium stripped of its electrons
• These particles travel throughout the Milky Way
galaxy
• Some come from the sun
• Some from outside the solar system
• Cosmic rays are the source of the highest energy
particles known!
The Discovery of Cosmic Rays
• At the beginning of the 20th century,

scientists thought there was too much
radioactivity than could be accounted
for naturally. Where was it coming
from?
• Victor Hess decided to test the idea that

the additional radiation came from outer
space. In 1912, one way to do this was by
BALLOON!
• He got to about 18,000 feet (without
oxygen) He noticed that the radiation
steadily increased.
• COSMIC RAYS!
What are cosmic rays made of?
• What are Cosmic Rays? The term "Cosmic Rays" refers to elementary
particles, nuclei, and electro-magnetic radiation of extra-terrestrial
origin. These may include exotic, short-lived particles such as muons,
pi-mesons or lambda baryons.
• In the energy range of 1012-1015 eV, cosmic rays arriving at the edge
of the Earth's atmosphere have been measured to consist of:
• ~50% protons
~25% alpha particles (helium nuclei)
~13% C/N/O nuclei
<1% electrons
<0.1% gammas
Low Energy Cosmic Rays
• The sun is a source of cosmic rays: the solar
wind consists of protons and electrons
ejected from the sun's corona and from
solar flares. Almost all these solar cosmic
rays, however, have a very low energy and
except for a minute fraction they are all
deflected by the earth's magnetic field and
absorbed in the atmosphere. They have
enough energy to ionize the various gasses
in the upper atmosphere, which then causes
beautiful displays known as the Aurora.
More specifically, in the northern
hemisphere it is called the Aurora Borealis,
also known as Northern Lights, while in the
southern hemisphere it is called Aurora
Australis.
Cosmic rays and the weather
• While low-energy cosmic rays such as the solar wind cause
ionization in the upper atmosphere, muons cause most of the
ionization in the lower atmosphere. When a muon ionizes a gas
molecule, it strips away an electron, making that molecule into
a positive ion. The electron is soon captured, either by another
gas molecule turning it into a negative ion, or it may find an
already ionized positive ion and neutralize it (this is called
recombination). There is a balance between ionization and
recombination, and so there is a fairly constant density of
positive and negative ions in the atmosphere. But there is a
difference between the types of molecules that become
negative ions and the ones that are positive. On average, the
negative ions are more "mobile" than the positive ones, and this
results in the fact that there is an electric field in atmosphere.
On a normal quiet day, this electric field is about 100 Volts per
meter. When a thunder shower forms, there is an as yet not
completely understood mechanism that tends to lift the
negative ions up while pushing the positive ones down. This
changes the electric field strength to tens of thousands of
Volts/meter. When the field strength becomes to high, a
discharge occurs: lightning. Clearly, without ionization, thunder
and lightning would not happen, so cosmic rays have a direct
influence on the types of weather we can have on earth
Cosmic Rays at the Earth Surface
• A proton from outer space (yellow) hits
the upper atmosphere, and produces a
shower of other particles (green). Some
of these particles (mostly pions) decay
into muons (red). Only a small fraction
of the muons reaches the earth's
surface, because most decay in flight.
Therefore, at higher altitudes there are
more muons, because fewer have
decayed. At sea level, one muon goes
through an area the size of your
fingernail about every minute!
Effect of Cosmic Rays
• May affect weather and climate
• May affect health
• May be used for homeland security
• Curiosity
Therefore, YOU should care because these particles are

streaming though the air and passing through your
body every second and may be affecting your life!
The Big Bang
• Big Bang created a lot of high
energy g-rays.
• If two g-rays collide they create
high energy particles.
• Some these particles may have
become what we now call cosmic
rays
Solar flares
RHESSI spacecraft images of gamma-
rays (blue) and X-rays (red) thrown
off by the hottest part of the flare are
shown with UV images from the
TRACE spacecraft. The gamma rays
are made by energetic protons at the
Sun. Scientists were surprised that
the gamma rays matched the energy
spectrum of protons at Earth: the
proton storm may have come directly
from the Sun and not from the CME
as anticipated.

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APPLIED PHYSICS:-COSMIC RAYS

NAME GR.NO. ROLL NO.

• At the beginning of the 20th century,

• Victor Hess decided to test the idea that

Therefore, YOU should care because these particles are

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