Cosmic rays (CRs), are not actually rays, but highly energetic charged particles of extraterrestrial origin. The life cycle of a cosmic ray particle starts with its birth at some point in the Universe, its travel at nearly the speed of light and finally with its death ( e.g. at a detector). These highly energetic particles strike our planet from all directions and thus provide a constant backgroun ...[Read More]
Cosmic rays – messengers from space
Artistic representation of cosmic rays entering the Earth's atmosphere (Credit: Asimmetrie/INFN).