Cosmic Ray Detector

Cosmic Ray Detector

Experience the invisible shower of particles from space passing through you right now

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Rays Per Second
12,500
through your body
🎯
Total Detected
0
cosmic particles
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Average Energy
0.00
MeV
📊
Detection Rate
0
hits/minute

Live Detection Log

ACTIVE
Initializing particle detectors...

Understanding Cosmic Rays

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Origin Story

Cosmic rays are born in the most violent events in the universe - supernova explosions, neutron star collisions, and black hole jets. They travel for millions of years through space before reaching Earth.

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What Are They?

Most cosmic rays are protons (hydrogen nuclei). When they hit Earth's atmosphere, they create cascades of secondary particles - mainly muons that reach the ground and pass through everything.

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Scientific Discovery

Cosmic rays led to the discovery of several fundamental particles including the muon (1936) and pion (1947). They're nature's own particle accelerator, more powerful than any human-made machine!

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Are They Dangerous?

Not at ground level! Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field protect us. However, astronauts and airline crews receive higher doses, which is why flight time is monitored for radiation exposure.

Particle Types We Detect

μ⁻
Muon (negative)
Energy: ~4 MeV Probability: 35%
μ⁺
Muon (positive)
Energy: ~4 MeV Probability: 35%
e⁻
Electron
Energy: ~2 MeV Probability: 12%
e⁺
Positron
Energy: ~2 MeV Probability: 12%
p⁺
Proton
Energy: ~10 MeV Probability: 4%
γ
Gamma Ray
Energy: ~1 MeV Probability: 2%

Cosmic Ray Facts

1
About 12,500 cosmic ray muons pass through your body every second
2
Cosmic rays travel at near light-speed, around 98-99% of c
3
Most cosmic rays detected at Earth's surface are muons created in the upper atmosphere
4
Primary cosmic rays come from supernovae, neutron stars, and black holes
5
Cosmic rays have been traveling through space for millions of years before reaching you
6
You are being hit by particles that may have originated in distant galaxies
7
GPS satellites must account for cosmic ray interference in their calculations
8
Cosmic rays can flip bits in computer memory - causing "soft errors"
9
The energy of cosmic rays can exceed 10^20 electron volts
10
Cosmic ray detection helped discover the muon particle in 1936