AI Insight
Cosmic rays from interstellar space continuously collide with atoms in Earth's atmosphere at high energies, fragmenting them into cascades of secondary particles that reach ground level. A new study from CERN investigates the initial formation mechanisms of these particle showers, which occur when cosmic rays strike atmospheric atoms at velocities approaching the speed of light. These collision events produce billions of particles per second that pass through objects and living organisms on Earth's surface.
Why it matters
Understanding cosmic ray interactions helps scientists study high-energy physics phenomena that cannot be replicated in Earth-based particle accelerators. This research also has implications for radiation exposure during air travel, satellite operations, and understanding fundamental particle physics processes.
Understand the Science
Every second, particles zip through your body at nearly the speed of light. They rain down from a storm high in the sky, where cosmic rays, a powerful type of interstellar matter, constantly strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere. The impacts break them apart into a shower of particles that rain to the ground.
Source: Physicists zoom into the birth of cosmic rainstorms with new CERN study