Ultra high energy cosmic particles?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around ultra high energy cosmic particles, specifically protons detected with energies exceeding 3 x 1020 eV. Participants explore theories regarding their origins, detection methods, and the implications of their high velocities, including potential macroscopic effects. The conversation includes speculative theories and personal experiences related to cosmic ray research.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants mention Fermi acceleration as a theory explaining the high velocities of cosmic rays due to acceleration by magnetic fields.
  • There are inquiries about references or sources for detecting protons at such high energies, with mentions of air shower detection methods and specific experiments like AGASA and 'Fly Eye' detectors.
  • One participant discusses the origins of cosmic rays, suggesting they may be produced by supernova explosions or from phenomena associated with black holes, though these ideas remain speculative.
  • A detailed explanation of the detection process of cosmic rays is provided, including the interactions of cosmic rays with air molecules and the resulting particle showers detected by specialized equipment.
  • Another participant raises a question about the kinetic energy of ultra high energy cosmic rays, comparing it to that of a small golf ball moving at high speed, and inquires about the potential effects of being hit by such a particle.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various theories and hypotheses regarding the origins and detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays, with no consensus reached on the explanations or implications discussed. Multiple competing views and uncertainties remain present throughout the conversation.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about detection methods and origins of cosmic rays depend on specific definitions and assumptions that are not fully explored in the discussion. The conversation includes speculative elements that are not universally accepted.

tozhan
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ultra high energy cosmic particles??

I know there have been serveral instances where protons have been detected traveling through our atmosphere with energies in excess of 3*10^{20} eV. This means that they might cause macroscopic effects as the proton would be traveling at speeds close to C. I am just wondering if anyone can come up with a theory as to why and how this can happen??

I don't think its been solved so feel free to include random new strange theories, i enjoy reading them! :rolleyes:

PEACE!
 
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One of the theories for the high velocities of cosmic rays is called Fermi acceleration. It postulates that cosmic rays are accelerated by magnetic fields
 
tozhan, do you have any references or sources which identify the method for detecting or discovering 3E20 ev (3E8 TeV) protons?

Those energies are more than 3E11 times the rest energy (938.3 MeV), so the velocities would certainly approaching the speed of light.
 
Astronuc said:
tozhan, do you have any references or sources which identify the method for detecting or discovering 3E20 ev (3E8 TeV) protons?

Those energies are more than 3E11 times the rest energy (938.3 MeV), so the velocities would certainly approaching the speed of light.
While not a direct answer to your question Astronuc, this paper ("Cosmic Physics: The High Energy Frontier", F.W. Stecker) is one of my favourites as an overview of the field. It contains plenty of references ... I think you'll find that the most energetic CR was detected by the Japanese AGASA experiment, and that 'Fly Eye' detectors have also been used. Basically, the method(s) involve detection and analysis of air showers.
 
Cosmic Rays in general are believed to be created from supernova explosions in our galaxy and possibly from other galaxies. Protons are ejected from the explosion at extremely high velocities, although this doesn't completely explain where the extremely high energy comsmic rays (10^20 eV) come from. There is only speculation about where these extreme high energy CR come from, if i recall correctly, one possibily is because of a special type of supernova, one so violent that it causes the creation of a black hole. Another possibility is from the acceleration of protons because the the enourmus magnetic fields caused by spinning black holes and very fast spiraling ionized gas falling into the black hole.
This past summer I went to Brookhaven National Laboratory to study cosmic rays and build detectors for them. The design of the detectors were pretty simple, made of mainly dopped lucite and a Photo-Multiplier tube. When a cosmic ray enters our atmosphere traveling at very high speed, it travels a down a great deal until it reaches relativly dense air, and then collides with an air molecule. The collision causes a series of events leading to a shower of particles. The collision between a proton and an air molecule would produce mainly pion, which are composed of a pair of quarks. There would be positive pions (antipions), negative pions, and neutral pions. A positive pion would decay into a positive muon (antimuon), and then into a positron along with certain flavors of neutrinos. A negative pion would decay into a muon, and then into an electron along with other flavors of neutrinos. The neutral pion is a quark/antiquark pair, and therefore decays almost instantly into two xray/gamarays going in opposite directions in order to conserve momentum. The photons will then interact with heavy nucleii in the atmosphere and convert into an electron/positron pair. Once a particle from this shower goes through the lucite in the detector, it will emitt Cherenkov radiation, which will be detected by the PM tube and converted into an electrical signal that can then be analysed.

ps. sorry for my terrible spelling
 
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I was reading that some of these ultra high energy cosmic rays had the amount of kinetic energy as a small golf ball moving @ 90km/h+?

Would you feel or get injured if getting hit by one of these cosmic rays at that energy?
 

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