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Chapter 20: Problem 10

Cosmic rays are a. a form of electromagnetic radiation. b. high-energy particles. c. high-energy dark matter. d. high-energy photons.

Short Answer

Expert verified
b. high-energy particles

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Nature of Cosmic Rays

Consider what cosmic rays are made of. Cosmic rays are known to consist of charged particles.
02

Differentiate Between Options

Review the options given: (a) electromagnetic radiation, (b) high-energy particles, (c) high-energy dark matter, (d) high-energy photons. Electromagnetic radiation and photons are typically waves or particles without mass, dark matter is a theoretical kind of matter.
03

Select the Correct Choice

Given that cosmic rays are composed of charged particles such as protons and atomic nuclei, the correct answer is high-energy particles.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a type of energy that travels through space at the speed of light. It covers a broad range of wavelengths and frequencies, including gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves.

These waves are formed by the oscillation of electric and magnetic fields and cannot be seen by the human eye except for visible light. The energy carried by these waves can be used in various applications, such as medical imaging (X-rays), communication (radio waves), and heating (microwaves).
High-energy particles
High-energy particles are usually subatomic particles like protons, atomic nuclei, or electrons that possess very high velocities and energy. Cosmic rays are a perfect example of high-energy particles.

They originate outside the Earth's atmosphere, often from the sun or even more distant sources like supernovae. These particles are travelling nearly at the speed of light and can penetrate materials, causing ionization.
  • Protons: The most abundant cosmic rays are protons, which are hydrogen nuclei.
  • Atomic nuclei: These can include nuclei of heavier elements such as helium, oxygen, or iron.
  • Electrons: Although less common, high-energy electrons are also found among cosmic rays.
Cosmic rays can affect both living organisms and electronic devices, making understanding them important for fields such as astrophysics and aerospace engineering.
Dark Matter
Dark matter is a mysterious and invisible form of matter that doesn't emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it undetectable by traditional means of observation. It's believed to make up about 27% of the universe.

Unlike normal matter, dark matter does not interact with the electromagnetic force, which means it doesn’t emit electromagnetic radiation. Its presence is inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter and the structure of the universe.
  • Galaxy Rotation: The rotation speeds of galaxies suggest that there is more mass present than we can see.
  • Gravitational Lensing: Light from distant objects is bent by gravity around massive objects that are otherwise invisible.
  • Cosmic Microwave Background: Measurements of the early universe's radiation provide indirect evidence for dark matter.
Although no direct detection has yet been confirmed, researchers continue to develop sensitive detectors to capture dark matter interactions.
Photons
Photons are elementary particles that represent the quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light. They are massless, allowing them to travel at the speed of light.

Photons can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties, a concept known as wave-particle duality. They are responsible for carrying electromagnetic force and can interact with matter in various ways.
  • Visible Light: Photons in the visible spectrum are detected by the human eye, allowing us to see.
  • Energy Transmission: Photons can transfer energy, as seen in photosynthesis or solar panels.
  • Quantum Mechanics: Photons play a crucial role in phenomena like entanglement and superposition.
The concept of photons is fundamental in both classical and quantum theories of light and electromagnetic radiation.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

One of the fastest cosmic rays ever observed had a speed of \(\left(1.0-\left[1.0 \times 10^{-24}\right]\right) \times c(\text { very, very close to } c) .\) Assume that the cosmic ray and a photon left a source at the same instant. To a stationary observer, how far behind the photon would the cosmic ray be after traveling for 100 million years?

Halo stars are found in the vicinity of the Sun. What observational evidence distinguishes them from disk stars?

Use your imagination to describe how Earth's skies might appear if the Sun and Solar System were located (a) near the center of the galaxy; (b) near the center of a large globular cluster; (c) near the center of a large, dense molecular cloud.

Why are most of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies so difficult to detect? a. They are very small. b. They are very far away. c. The halo of the Milky Way blocks the view. d. They are very faint.

Go to the Hubble Space Telescope website and watch the videos about the possible collision of the Milky Way and Andromeda (http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/ galaxy/2012/20/video). Read the report under "The Full Story." A newer simulation is here: www.icrar.org/multimedia/ videos/video-pages/andromeda-and-the-milky-way- collide! Why will Andromeda "eat" the Milky Way instead of the other way around?
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