The Auger Observatory project may have found the answer to the question "where do cosmic rays come from?" For awhile scientists have known that there are high energy fundamental particles in the air yet since cosmic rays are so hard to predict no one has ever studied them properly. Until recently when the Auger Observatory Team found 12 out of 15 high cosmic energy rays have sky directions that are consistent with with positions of nearby active galactic nuclei. An active galactic nucleus is a compact region at the centre of a galaxy which has a much higher than normal luminosity over some of the electromagnetic spectrum. A galaxy hosting an active galactic nucleus is called an active galaxy. The radiation from active galactic nucleus is believed to be a result of accretion on to the supermassive black hole at the centre of the host galaxy. Active galactic nuclei are the most luminous sources of electromagnetic radiation in the universe. This picture is suposed to be of a cosmic ray hitting Earth. In the corner the artist has digitally imposed a picture of Cebtaurus A which is an active galaxy where the cosmic rays might originate. I didn't even know what cosmic rays actually were but after researching them I have realized there actual importance. Understanding the effects of cosmic rays on the body will be vital for assessing the risks of space travel. Cosmic rays constitute a fraction of the annual radiation exposure of human beings on earth. Cosmic rays have been implicated in the triggering of electrical breakdown in lightning. And some even believe they have an impact in climate change. Who knew they could be so pretty though?
No comments:
Post a Comment