How Many Teslas Are Needed to Deflect Cosmic Rays at Near Light Speed?

[scienceman111]

I am trying to calculate the strength of the magnetic field ( in teslas ) that would be needed to deflect cosmic rays going about 99% the speed of light.

using the lorents force

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorentz_force


I replaced force with mass times acceleration

I canceled the cross product because for this case pretend that the cosmic ray hits the magnetic field perpendicularly(eliminating the cross product)

the variable E is also canceled because I am not applying an electric force

so I end up with B= (mass times accleration) divided by (the charge in coloumbs times the velocity (99% the speed of light))

but correct me if I am wrong. I have the accleration of cosmic rays to be 10,000 m/s squared until it reaches its maximum speed

but because I am dividing by the spped of light(almost)

I end up with a (insert a huge decimal number here) Teslas

which must be incorrect because it would take many teslas to deflect cosmioc rays


PLEASE CORRECT ME

Thanks.

 

[SporadicSmile]

By how much are you trying to deflect them?
Because cosmic rays can travel a LONG way in your average magnetic field without being significantly reflected. So if you are trying to change their direction a large amount in a short distance, then yes you should be expecting a very large magnetic field to be required.

 

[astrokreng]

Your calculation is on the right track, but there are a few things that need to be clarified and corrected. First, the Lorentz force equation includes both the electric and magnetic force, so you cannot cancel out the electric force term. However, for this specific scenario where the cosmic ray is moving perpendicular to the magnetic field, the electric force term will be zero.

Secondly, the acceleration of cosmic rays is not a constant value and it can vary depending on the energy and type of cosmic ray. Therefore, you cannot assume a constant acceleration of 10,000 m/s^2. Instead, you would need to know the specific energy and type of cosmic ray you are trying to deflect in order to calculate the necessary acceleration.

Lastly, the Lorentz force equation can be rewritten as B = (mv)/(qR), where R is the radius of curvature of the cosmic ray's path. In this case, you would need to know the radius of curvature in order to calculate the necessary magnetic field strength.

In conclusion, the calculation you have provided is not sufficient to accurately determine the strength of the magnetic field needed to deflect cosmic rays. More information, such as the specific energy and type of cosmic ray and the radius of curvature, is needed for a more accurate calculation. Additionally, it is important to note that the strength of the magnetic field needed to deflect cosmic rays would be extremely high, likely on the order of millions of Teslas, making it practically impossible to achieve with current technology.