Cosmic rays originate from sources in outer space and strike every side of the Earth. Sources of cosmic rays include neutron stars, supernovae, quasars, black holes, and pulsars. Our sun is also capable of producing cosmic rays, but the cosmic rays which it produces contributes little when compared to the total amount of cosmic rays that reach the earth. In addition, the cosmic rays from our sun are typically much lower in energy compared to the cosmic rays that originate from the sources mentioned previously (“Primary Cosmic Rays”). These waves consist of high-energy charged particles, such as atoms’ nuclei, electrons, and positrons. Positrons are also known as antielectrons and they have the same mass as the electron (Phillips). The nuclei found in cosmic rays belong to a wide range of elements, but the majority of the nuclei belong to Hydrogen (i.e. a proton). …show more content…
Travelling at the speed of light, cosmic rays can penetrate through the human body and alter DNA. This poses numerous health issues, such as the increased rick of cancer development. Thankfully, the earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field is structured in such a way that helps prevent cosmic rays from fully reaching the surface of the earth (De Nolfo). Because cosmic rays are charged, when they come into contact with the Earth’s magnetic field, a large majority of them are repelled or deflected away. Often times, the subatomic charged particles are redirected to the poles and proceed to interact with the gases in the Earth’s upper atmosphere; this interaction gives rise to Aurora (Telescope Array Project). But this deflection and protection from cosmic rays due to a magnetic field is not unique to Earth. Other planets have magnetic fields and therefore will also deflect incoming cosmic rays. This fact makes it quite challenging to determine a cosmic ray’s origin (“Primary Cosmic
In the article The Cosmic Perspective by Neil deGrasse Tyson he examines a range of topics from human life coming from Mars to how our perspective of the universe relates to religion. In the year 2000, a new space show opened at the Hayden Planetarium called Passport to the Universe, which compared the size of people Milky Way and beyond. While a show like this might make someone feel minuscule and insignificant, Tyson says that seeing the size of the universe actually makes him feel more alive not less and gives him a sense of grandeur. I agree with his idea that looking at us as a people in comparison can actually give you a sense of grandeur. However, when I compare myself to the vastness of space, it puts events on Earth in perspective while showing how influential we can be as a people even if we are small.
Perkins, Ceri. "Dark Lightning Sheds Light on Gamma-ray Mystery." physicsworld.com. N.p., 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
The sensitive instruments aboard the SOHO spacecraft have already helped scientists here on Earth discover and explain some of the mysteries of the Sun as well as to confirm some of their theories they previously held. For example, in May of 1998 with the help of the Michelson Doppler Interferometer scientists were able to see with greater clarity the giant convective cells inside and on the surface of the Sun.
All these effects were the cause of the discovery of nuclear fission and its properties. Nuclear Fusion Nuclear fusion is the process used by the sun and the stars in our solar system to produce their energy. Fusion involves smashing hydrogen atoms together at high velocities to form helium, and the matter is made into energy.
An atom, by definition, is the smallest part of any substance. The atom has three main components that make it up: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and neutrons are within the nucleus in the center of the atom. The electrons revolve around the nucleus in many orbitals. These orbitals consist of many different shapes, including circular, spiral, and many others. Protons are positively charged and electrons are negatively charged. Protons and electrons both have charge of equal magnitude (i.e. 1.602x10-19 coulombs). Neutrons have a neutral charge, and they, along with protons, are the majority of mass in an atom. Electron mass, though, is negligible. When an atom has a neutral charge, it is stable.
Cosmic rays are high energy charged particles, originating in outer space, that travel at nearly the speed of light and strike the Earth from all directions. The term "cosmic rays" usually refers to galactic cosmic rays, which originate in sources outside the solar system, distributed throughout our Milky Way galaxy. However, this term has also come to include other classes of energetic particles in space, including nuclei and electrons accelerated in association with energetic events on the Sun (called solar energetic particles), and particles accelerated in interplanetary space. Co...
Ultraviolet radiation is a type of energy, usually heat or light, that travels through space. The natural source of UV rays come from the sun, but it came be produced artificially through lamps and laser beams. http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/uv.html Gamma rays are the strongest form of radiation. This is why nuclear rays are very dangerous. Gamma rays destroy human and animal tissue and cause harmful mutations. When there is a high amount of gamma rays present, it will kill any, if not all, life forms in a small amount of time. Gamma rays are a type of pure energy. They can be discovered j...
The Big Bang, the alpha of existence for the building blocks of stars, happened approximately fourteen billion years ago. The elements produced by the big bang consisted of hydrogen and helium with trace amounts of lithium. Hydrogen and helium are the essential structure which build stars. Within these early stars, heavier elements were slowly formed through a process known as nucleosynthesis. Nucleosythesis is the process of creating new atomic nuclei from pre-existing nucleons. As the stars expel their contents, be it going supernova, solar winds, or solar explosions, these heavier elements along with other “star stuff” are ejected into the interstellar medium where they will later be recycled into another star. This physical process of galactic recycling is how or solar system's mass came to contain 2% of these heavier elements.
Bailey, P., & Worthington, N. (n.d.). History and Applications of HAARP Technologies: The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. Pegasus Research Consortium. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45patrick_bailey/03files/HAARP97.html
The magnetosphere, which is a constituency of strong magnetic forces surrounding Earth, gets compressed to become a teardrop shape by the solar wind as it moves past Earth. The magnetosphere stops the solar wind from reaching our Earth’s surface. When the solar wind blusters on a comet, it makes an ion tail which is one of the many types of tails a comet can have. There are some ion tails that are long and straight, and there are some made of ionized matter, that solar winds blow off the comet. Some solar winds miss the Earth when solar winds infringe our magnetic fi...
Antimatter production is a relatively easy concept, but the details are mind bogeling. In 1932, Carl Anderson, was examining tracks produced by cosmic rays in a cloud chamber. One particle made a track like an electron, but carvature of its path in the magnetic field was one consistent with a possitive charged particle. He named this new particle a positron. Later, in the 1950’s, physicists at the Lawrence Radiation Lab used the Beratron accelerator to produce the anti-proton. Upon examination of this particle they found that it had the same mass and spin as a proton, but with negative charge and opposite magnetic moment. The process they used to create this particle with first to accelerate a proton to a very high speed, and then smash it into a target. This collision produces an antiproton and three protons, or in other words a proton antiproton pair and the two original protons. This seems to suggest that for each antiproton produced, there is one proton. This would sugget whole other worlds made of antimatter. However, this is a whole other debate.
Nuclear fusion occurs when two atomic nuclei collide with enough energy to bind together to form one nucleus. Nuclear fusion occurs in the core of our sun, and is the source of its tremendous heat. In the sun hydrogen nuclei, single protons, fuse together and form a new nucleus. In the conversion, a small amount of mass is converted into energy. It is this energy that heats the sun.
First of all what is a Gamma Ray? A gamma ray is a high energy ionized radiation (EPA). Gamma photons have about 10,000 times more energy as photons (EPA). Along with that gamma rays wavelengths are so short they have to be measured in nanometers (EPA). They also are the strongest type of radiation which makes them the most dangerous. How are Gamma rays dangerous? A gamma-ray photon has enough energy to damage atoms in your body and make them radioactive (Christian, Eric). Gamma ray radiation also causes murderous burn, breast and a lung and thyroid cancer, genetics illnesses (Asiye, Gul). But when did we even discover gamma rays? In 1896 Henri Becquerel, a French Physicist, discovered gamma rays, he called it metallic phosphorescence (EPA). Becquerel had found gamma radiation being emitted by radium (EPA).
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.
A solar storm refers to space weather involving solar activities like solar flares and coronal mass ejection. Although most solar storms may only have minor effect on the Earth, a particularly strong one like the 1859 Carrington Event is likely to cause damage of spacecraft and satellites, as well as radio and electricity blackout of large regions on the Earth. In the age that people’s lives are greatly dependent on electronic and telecommunication technologies, our modern civilization is under a constant threat posed by a hazardous solar storm. This paper will examine a few past solar storm observations and attempt to analyze the effects of the major components of solar storms on human technologies and people’s lives.