scholarly journals New Evidence for a Change with Time of the Total Energy Brought into the Earth by Cosmic Rays

1939 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 491-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Millikan ◽  
H. V. Neher
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Total Energy ◽  
The Earth ◽  
New Evidence

scholarly journals On particle acceleration and transport in plasmas in the Galaxy: theory and observations

2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Amato ◽  
Sabrina Casanova
Keyword(s):  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Energetic Particles ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Current Status ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Galaxy Assembly

Accelerated particles are ubiquitous in the Cosmos and play a fundamental role in many processes governing the evolution of the Universe at all scales, from the sub-AU scale relevant for the formation and evolution of stars and planets to the Mpc scale involved in Galaxy assembly. We reveal the presence of energetic particles in many classes of astrophysical sources thanks to their production of non-thermal radiation, and we detect them directly at the Earth as cosmic rays. In the last two decades both direct and indirect observations have provided us a wealth of new, high-quality data about cosmic rays and their interactions both in sources and during propagation, in the Galaxy and in the Solar System. Some of the new data have confirmed existing theories about particle acceleration and propagation and their interplay with the environment in which they occur. Some others have brought about interesting surprises, whose interpretation is not straightforward within the standard framework and may require a change of paradigm in terms of our ideas about the origin of cosmic rays of different species or in different energy ranges. In this article, we focus on cosmic rays of galactic origin, namely with energies below a few petaelectronvolts, where a steepening is observed in the spectrum of energetic particles detected at the Earth. We review the recent observational findings and the current status of the theory about the origin and propagation of galactic cosmic rays.

scholarly journals The measurement of the energy of cosmic rays - II—The curvature measurements and the energy spectrum

1936 ◽  
Vol 154 (883) ◽  
pp. 573-587 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Energy Spectrum ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Strong Magnetic Fields ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Primary Particles ◽  
Curvature Measurements

Both the penetrating power of the cosmic rays through material ab­sorbers and their ability to reach the earth in spite of its magnetic field, make it certain that the energy of many of the primary particles must reach at least 10 11 e-volts. However, the energy measurements by Kunze, and by Anderson, using cloud chambers in strong magnetic fields, have extended only to about 5 x 10 9 e-volts. Particles of greater energy were reported, but the curvature of their tracks was too small to be measured with certainty. We have extended these energy measurements to somewhat higher energies, using a large electro-magnet specially built for the purpose and described in Part I. As used in these experiments, the magnet allowed the photography of tracks 17 cm long in a field of about 14,000 gauss. The magnet weighed about 11,000 kilos and used a power of 25 kilowatts.

scholarly journals Terrestrial effects of moderately nearby supernovae

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian L. Melott ◽  
Brian C. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Ozone Depletion ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Mutation Rates ◽  
Benthic Organisms ◽  
Concomitant Increase ◽  
The Earth ◽  
New Information ◽  
Atmospheric Ionization

AbstractRecent data indicate one or more moderately nearby supernovae in the early Pleistocene, with additional events likely in the Miocene. This has motivated more detailed computations, using new information about the nature of supernovae and the distances of these events to describe in more detail the sorts of effects that are indicated at the Earth. This short communication/review is designed to describe some of these effects so that they may possibly be related to changes in the biota around these times.SummaryIt has been known for some time that moderately nearby supernovae may have substantial effects on the Earth. Events at ˜150 light years will happen on average every few Myr, but will tend to happen in groups, with long periods between with no events. The effects of cosmic rays from such events appears to be greater than estimated previously. Ozone depletion and the increase of hazardous UVB continues to be important, but new effects come to the fore. Muon irradiation on the ground and hundreds of meters down into the ocean will increase cancer and mutation rates, the differences being most notable in terrestrial megafauna and benthic organisms. Typically larger organisms live long enough to develop cancer; in microorganisms the primary effects would be associated with mutation rates. Atmospheric ionization in the troposphere will greatly increase lightning rates, with a concomitant increase in the rate of wildfires.

scholarly journals Short- and Medium-Term Induced Ionization in the Earth Atmosphere by Galactic and Solar Cosmic Rays

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Mishev
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Earth Atmosphere ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Ground Level Enhancement ◽  
Solar Cosmic Rays ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Ionization Effect

The galactic cosmic rays are the main source of ionization in the troposphere of the Earth. Solar energetic particles of MeV energies cause an excess of ionization in the atmosphere, specifically over polar caps. The ionization effect during the major ground level enhancement 69 on January 20, 2005 is studied at various time scales. The estimation of ion rate is based on a recent numerical model for cosmic-ray-induced ionization. The ionization effect in the Earth atmosphere is obtained on the basis of solar proton energy spectra, reconstructed from GOES 11 measurements and subsequent full Monte Carlo simulation of cosmic-ray-induced atmospheric cascade. The evolution of atmospheric cascade is performed with CORSIKA 6.990 code using FLUKA 2011 and QGSJET II hadron interaction models. The atmospheric ion rate is explicitly obtained for various latitudes, namely, 40°N, 60°N and 80°N. The time evolution of obtained ion rates is presented. The short- and medium-term ionization effect is compared with the average effect due to galactic cosmic rays. It is demonstrated that ionization effect is significant only in subpolar and polar atmosphere during the major ground level enhancement of January 20, 2005. It is negative in troposphere at midlatitude, because of the accompanying Forbush effect.

Measurement of the radial diffusion coefficient of galactic cosmic rays near the Earth by the GRAPES-3 experiment

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kojima ◽  
K. P. Arunbabu ◽  
S. R. Dugad ◽  
S. K. Gupta ◽  
B. Hariharan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Coefficient ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Radial Diffusion ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Radial Diffusion Coefficient

A reevaluation of the atmospheric pressure dependence of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons in the context of Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jannis Weimar ◽  
Paul Schattan ◽  
Martin Schrön ◽  
Markus Köhli ◽  
Rebecca Gugerli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Hydrogen Content ◽  
Atmospheric Pressure ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Neutron Intensity ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Primary Cosmic Rays

<p><span>Secondary cosmic-ray neutrons may be effectively used as a proxy for environmental hydrogen content at the hectare scale. These neutrons are generated mostly in the upper layers of the atmosphere within particle showers induced by galactic cosmic rays and other secondary particles. Below 15 km altitude their intensity declines as primary cosmic rays become less abundant and the generated neutrons are attenuated by the atmospheric air. At the earth surface, the intensity of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons heavily depends on their attenuation within the atmosphere, i.e. the amount of air the neutrons and their precursors pass through. Local atmospheric pressure measurements present an effective means to account for the varying neutron attenuation potential of the atmospheric air column above the neutron sensor. Pressure variations possess the second largest impact on the above-ground epithermal neutron intensity. Thus, using epithermal neutrons to infer environmental hydrogen content requires precise knowledge on how to correct for atmospheric pressure changes.</span></p><p><span>We conducted several short-term field experiments in saturated environments and at different altitudes, i.e. different pressure states to observe the neutron intensity pressure relation over a wide range of pressure values. Moreover, we used long-term measurements above glaciers in order to monitor the local dependence of neutron intensities and pressure in a pressure range typically found in Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing. The results are presented along with a broad Monte Carlo simulation campaign using MCNP 6. In these simulations, primary cosmic rays are released above the earth atmosphere at different cut-off rigidities capturing the whole evolution of cosmic-ray neutrons from generation to attenuation and annihilation. The simulated and experimentally derived pressure relation of cosmic-ray neutrons is compared to those of similar studies and assessed in the light of an appropriate atmospheric pressure correction for Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing.</span></p>

Influence of supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, solar flares, and cosmic rays on the terrestrial environment

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnon Dar
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Terrestrial Environment ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Threat To Life

Changes in the solar neighbourhood due to the motion of the sun in the Galaxy, solar evolution, and Galactic stellar evolution influence the terrestrial environment and expose life on the Earth to cosmic hazards. Such cosmic hazards include impact of near-Earth objects (NEOs), global climatic changes due to variations in solar activity and exposure of the Earth to very large fluxes of radiations and cosmic rays from Galactic supernova (SN) explosions and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Such cosmic hazards are of low probability, but their influence on the terrestrial environment and their catastrophic consequences, as evident from geological records, justify their detailed study, and the development of rational strategies, which may minimize their threat to life and to the survival of the human race on this planet. In this chapter I shall concentrate on threats to life from increased levels of radiation and cosmic ray (CR) flux that reach the atmosphere as a result of (1) changes in solar luminosity, (2) changes in the solar environment owing to the motion of the sun around the Galactic centre and in particular, owing to its passage through the spiral arms of the Galaxy, (3) the oscillatory displacement of the solar system perpendicular to the Galactic plane, (4) solar activity, (5) Galactic SN explosions, (6) GRBs, and (7) cosmic ray bursts (CRBs). The credibility of various cosmic threats will be tested by examining whether such events could have caused some of the major mass extinctions that took place on planet Earth and were documented relatively well in the geological records of the past 500 million years (Myr). A credible claim of a global threat to life from a change in global irradiation must first demonstrate that the anticipated change is larger than the periodical changes in irradiation caused by the motions of the Earth, to which terrestrial life has adjusted itself. Most of the energy of the sun is radiated in the visible range. The atmosphere is highly transparent to this visible light but is very opaque to almost all other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum except radio waves, whose production by the sun is rather small.

A New Determination of Muon Directional Coupling Coefficients

1968 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 154-157
Author(s):  
D. J. Cooke ◽  
A. G. Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Coupling Coefficients ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Directional Coupling ◽  
Cosmic Ray Flux ◽  
Primary Cosmic Rays

Primary cosmic rays passing through the solar system carry with them valuable information about solar and astrophysical phenomena in the form of intensity and spectral variations. In order that this information be efficiently extracted from observations of the directional cosmic-ray flux at the surface of the Earth, it is essential to have accurate information available to enable the relating of the observed secondary cosmic-ray directions of motion and intensity to those outside the range of the disturbing terrestrial influences.

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