Cosmic Rays
Did you know that the highest energy particles on Earth are not due to particle accelerators? They arrive here from somewhat mysterious sources all the time and have been used in scientific studies since their discovery in the early 1900's. (True story, I once worked with a professor who used them to search for tachyonic magnetic monopoles.) The image above is an artist's depiction of the cascade of particles that results when one collides with a particle in the atmosphere. Did you know that it's possible to observe them yourself? A week from Monday, on February 17th, Steve Powell, a long time member of one of our nearby sister clubs, the Friends of Galileo, will visit to share what he has learned about this amazing topic. His description of his presentation is below.
I will provide an overview of the history of the discovery of cosmic rays; describe both early and contemporary methods for detecting them; and explain what has been learned about the nature and sources of this radiation.
About Steve Powell
Steve Powell grew up in the greater-Seattle area. He obtained a B.S. in physics, as well as his teaching certificate, from the University of Washington and later on received an M.Ed. from the University of Portland. He retired in 2021 after a 37-year career teaching science at Mark Morris H.S. In Longview, WA and has been a member of the Friends of Galileo Astronomy Club since it was founded in 1995.