The intensity of cosmic ray radiation decreases rapidly with increasing energy,

Question

The intensity of cosmic ray radiation decreases rapidly with increasing energy, but there are occasionally extremely energetic cosmic rays that create a shower of radiation from all of the particles they create by striking a nucleus in the atmosphere. (See Figure 31.30.) Suppose a cosmic ray particle having an energy of 1.2x 10^10 GeV converts its energy into particles with masses averaging 500 MeV/c2.

a. How many particles are created?

b. If the particles rain down on a 1.00 km2 area, how many particles are there per square meter?

Explanation / Answer

a)
No of particles created, N = 1.2*10^10 Gev/(500 MeV/c^2)

= 1.2*10^10*10^3*c^2/500

= 1.2*10^10*10^3*(3*10^8)^2/500

= 2.16*10^27

b) No of particles per square meter = N/A

= 2.16*10^27/(1*10^6 m^2)

= 2.16*10^21 particles/m^2

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