Cosmic Ray - Discovery Of Cosmic Rays, The Nature And Origin Of Cosmic Rays
atmosphere primary particles earth
The term cosmic ray refers to tiny particles of matter that travel through space. Cosmic rays generally possess an electromagnetic charge and are highly energetic. Physicists divide cosmic rays into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary cosmic rays originate far outside Earth's atmosphere. Secondary cosmic rays are particles produced within Earth's atmosphere as a result of collisions between primary cosmic rays and molecules in the atmosphere.
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The existence of cosmic radiation was first discovered in 1912, in experiments performed by the physicist Victor Hess. His experiments were sparked by a desire to better understand phenomena of electric charge. A common instrument of the day for demonstrating such phenomena was the electroscope. An electroscope contains thin metal leaves or wires that separate from one another when they become cha…
An atom of a particular element consists of a nucleus surrounded by a cloud of electrons, which are negatively charged particles. The nucleus is made up of protons, which have a positive charge, and neutrons, which have no charge. These particles can be further broken down into smaller constituents; all of these particles are known as subatomic particles. Cosmic rays consist of nuclei and of vario…
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