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From: Parker.es@Xerox.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Cosmic Rays vs Gamma Rays
Message-ID: <277@sri-arpa.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 14-Jun-85 15:53:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.277
Posted: Fri Jun 14 15:53:23 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Jun-85 04:08:21 EDT
Lines: 21

From:  James Parker <Parker.es@Xerox.ARPA>


> A wave that is higher in energy than gamma is cosmic radiation.


when i was a kid, the scientists thought that cosmic rays were
electromagnetic waves above the gamma rays.  since then, there have been
several experiments that show that cosmic rays are actually charged
particles moving just under the speed of light.  the particles are
mostly but not always protons.  primary cosmic rays do carry awesome
amounts of energy ( MACROscopic energy !!! not MICROscopic energy !!! ).
they are not e-m waves after all, but yes they are much more energetic
than mere gamma rays.  lets not drag the wave/particle duality into this
discussion.

if anyone has any more recent info on this, please post it.  does anyone
know what the highest energy ever detected for either/both cosmic rays /
gamma rays ?

James