I wonder which part of the cosmic rays has a wave character, and which particles make a simple (straight path over gravity) orbit.
Answer
Cosmic rays come from stars, and the vast majority of our sun, the closest star.
This radiation can be subdivided into electromagnetic radiation (which indeed has a wave character) and particles (which have mass and are therefore subject to gravity, and fly in a straight line in the absence of fields). Let me note that electromagnetic radiation also travels in a straight line. You can’t compare that to water waves.
The electromagnetic cosmic rays are identical in nature to X-rays or gamma rays.
The particles are very numerous in nature, the main ones being:
– protons (hydrogen nuclei)
– electrons
– neutrons
– ions: ie individual atoms stripped of (some of) their outermost electrons
– neutrinos
– muons
The electromagnetic radiation is almost completely absorbed in the atmosphere.
The charged particles (electrons, protons, ions) are deflected by Earth’s magnetism and trapped in the Van Allen rings.
Only the neutral particles (mainly neutrons, muons and neutrinos) have a (small) chance of penetrating to the earth’s surface.
Answered by
Engineer Bart Dierickx
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