Cosmic radiation, why is the problem not worse than it is?

[PB666]

I looked for a previous thread but could not find one, I am sure this has been discussed before but I want to throw a few twists onto the argument.

First I have to deal with the political connotations.

http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2015/05/space-radiation-may-damage-astronauts-brains

So . . . .

What is cosmic radiation. Supposedly these are normal matter (including plasma) that are accelerated to very high, relativistic speeds becoming a cosmic ray. This is, in itself, is not radiation as we classically think about radiation (gamma, beta, and alpha particles), the radiation process begins or so we have been told in college physics as a cascade that is triggered by a collision. The cascade is exotic and normal matter along with EM radiation.

What are the sources:

SuperNovae (Fermi space telescope)

Active Galactic Nuclei - This comes from the supposition that black holes at the center of large galaxies are pushing hydrogen into intergalactic space. The concept that black holes do not produce EM is actually false, at least as the process in total. As particles spiral down into the event horizon they increase velocity and collide just as they do everywhere, near the speed of light radiative collisions end up producing high energy x-rays because the direction of circular motion is tangential to the hole. The x-rays are shot out before reaching the event horizon and these that bombard the hydrogen over the rotational poles resulting in electron/proton separation (electrons being hurled progressively outward) and charged particles and plasma following them.

My basic question is why is the Cosmic ray problem not worse than it actually is, or are we in a quite period, just seems like that ray showers should be obvious the second you reach orbit, these babies should be pelting the space ship at rates that would set off ambient sound recordings.

We have already discussed that in space particles can travel great distances before hitting anything. Light can travel billions of years, for example, and be largely unaffected by the milieu. But should a cosmic ray actually collided with a proton, hydrogen or helium molecule, the exotic matter and other particles are free to travel roughly forever. Obviously space is not filled with exotic matter, there is probably a finite limit on how much can build up before it masters its own destruction. Why are we looking for cosmic rays on the ISS, if we know that Earths magnetic field deflects charged particles, shouldn't the cosmic ray observatory be planted in a deep cavity on some rotationally attenuated asteroid?

[h=4]Primary cosmic ray antimatter[/h] See also: Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

Satellite experiments have found evidence of positrons and a few antiprotons in primary cosmic rays, amounting to less than 1% of the particles in primary cosmic rays. These do not appear to be the products of large amounts of antimatter from the Big Bang, or indeed complex antimatter in the universe. Rather, they appear to consist of only these two elementary particles, newly made in energetic processes.

Preliminary results from the presently operating Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) on board the International Space Station show that positrons in the cosmic rays arrive with no directionality, and with energies that range from 10 GeV to 250 GeV. In September, 2014, new results with almost twice as much data were presented in a talk at CERN and published in Physical Review Letters.^[45][46] A new measurement of positron fraction up to 500 GeV was reported, showing that positron fraction peaks at a maximum of about 16% of total electron+positron events, around an energy of 275 ± 32 GeV. At higher energies, up to 500 GeV, the ratio of positrons to electrons begins to fall again. The absolute flux of positrons also begins to fall before 500 GeV, but peaks at energies far higher than electron energies, which peak about 10 GeV.^[47] These results on interpretation have been suggested to be due to positron production in annihilation events of massive dark matter particles.^[48]

Cosmic ray antiprotons also have a much higher energy than their normal-matter counterparts (protons). They arrive at Earth with a characteristic energy maximum of 2 GeV, indicating their production in a fundamentally different process from cosmic ray protons, which on average have only one-sixth of the energy.^[49]

There is no evidence of complex antimatter atomic nuclei, such as antihelium nuclei (i.e., anti-alpha particles), in cosmic rays. These are actively being searched for. A prototype of the AMS-02 designated AMS-01, was flown into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-91 in June 1998. By not detecting any antihelium at all, the AMS-01 established an upper limit of 1.1×10^{−6} for the antihelium to helium flux ratio.^[50]

So cosmic particles in space are interacting with dark matter, and these little babies are gobbling up all the exotic particles produced. This is interesting conclusion because we cannot see or detect dark matter, but apparently exotic matter can, how is that possible? Maybe dark matter is a private club of select exotic particles that have accumulated since the beginning of the universe and form stable complexes that they can, and only can, interact with. Repulsive of all electrostatic interactions they crawl away from regular matter and tuck themselves in the nook and crannies of interstellar and intergalactic space. Maybe this is the a reason that matter condense qucikly after supernova, the dark matter created pushes normal matter away and finally into denser collections. OK so the matter is not antihelium (whew cause that would be way bad, wait why do we specifically care about antihelium?), but how exactly could you detect antihelium in interstellar space, does it have a signature? During an interstellar journey at near light speeds might we accidentally run into a cloud of dark matter and touch off a Cosmic Ray storm around the ship?

I wonder if Voyagers have detected any signs of dark matter on its journey between the stars?

[peadar1987]

Simple answer is the particles travel pretty much forever, but as they're being radiated in all directions, their intensity drops off with the square of the distance. We're just a long, long way away from the emitters.

[PB666]

Simple answer is the particles travel pretty much forever, but as they're being radiated in all directions, their intensity drops off with the square of the distance. We're just a long, long way away from the emitters.

Hmmmm. If you have a proton or a helium atom with 200 GeV energy and it collides with a hydrogen, the particles that are generated are still moving quite fast, for example a carbon nucleus weighs 12 times that of a proton, its products should still be moving close to the speed of light. The neutrons that are generated would have a half-life of 883 seconds in the neutrons enertial reference frame but that close to the speed of light they would survive at 1000s of years in our reference frame, if not longer.

Has a serious cosmic ray survey been done outside the magnetic field of Earth?

[ZetaX]

Why do you expect a single carbon nucleus at 99% the speed of light to be dangerous¿ Thats about 10^-8 Joules of energy, which is pretty irrelevant unless it causes an unlucky mutation ending in cancer (which also has a very miniscule chance).

[*Aqua*]

My basic question is why is the Cosmic ray problem not worse than it actually is, or are we in a quite period, just seems like that ray showers should be obvious the second you reach orbit, these babies should be pelting the space ship at rates that would set off ambient sound recordings.

The answer is probably similar to Olbers' paradox: There are an innumerable amount of stars in every direction. Why isn't the night sky bright?

Why are we looking for cosmic rays on the ISS, if we know that Earths magnetic field deflects charged particles, shouldn't the cosmic ray observatory be planted in a deep cavity on some rotationally attenuated asteroid?

The magnetic field can't deflect all charged particles. Auroras are the proof that they can at least reach the atmosphere. Our atmosphere absorbs nearly all radiation but above it you can measure more of it.

Also not every particle has a charge. Neutrons for example aren't affected by magnetic fields and they can be part of the cosmic radiation too.

Placing a radiation detector outside the Earths magnetic field doesn't change the radiation measurments a lot. The sun's magnetic field is much, much more powerful than Earth's one. So if you really want to measure cosmic radiation you have to bring a probe into interstellar space.

So cosmic particles in space are interacting with dark matter, and these little babies are gobbling up all the exotic particles produced. This is interesting conclusion because we cannot see or detect dark matter, but apparently exotic matter can, how is that possible?

[...]

Repulsive of all electrostatic interactions they crawl away from regular matter and tuck themselves in the nook and crannies of interstellar and intergalactic space.

[...]

the dark matter created pushes normal matter away

What exotic particles? What exotic matter?

Btw, the only known interaction between dark matter and 'normal' matter (including antimatter) is through gravitation but we (still) can't really measure gravity (we can only see the results of gravitational forces and conclude from that what gravitation is probably there). The only thing scientist had done was calculating some properties of it so that it fits in our understanding of the universe. But the real nature of dark matter is still unknown.

Btw gravitation always has a positive value. It never 'pushes' away it always 'pulls'. There is no antigravitation or we wouldn't exist because it would rip every matter cluster apart.

how exactly could you detect antihelium in interstellar space, does it have a signature?

1. Antimatter doesn't behave exactly the same as matter: CP violation.

2. Also if you have a stuff made of matter and an antimatter particle hits it annihilation occurs. You can detect that annihilation.

I wonder if Voyagers have detected any signs of dark matter on its journey between the stars?

I don't think that Voyagers sensors are built to detect dark matter. Both probes are 40 years old and they are made for planet observation. And both of them don't journey between the stars. They still have a long way to go until they leave our star system (which is thought to be 1 lightyear in diameter). Edited June 9, 2015 by *Aqua*

[PB666]

The answer is probably similar to Olbers' paradox: There are an innumerable amount of stars in every direction. Why isn't the night sky bright?

The magnetic field can't deflect all charged particles. Auroras are the proof that they can at least reach the atmosphere. Our atmosphere absorbs nearly all radiation but above it you can measure more of it.

Also not every particle has a charge. Neutrons for example aren't affected by magnetic fields and they can be part of the cosmic radiation too.

Placing a radiation detector outside the Earths magnetic field doesn't change the radiation measurments a lot. The sun's magnetic field is much, much more powerful than Earth's one. So if you really want to measure cosmic radiation you have to bring a probe into interstellar space.

Good idea, but I think my asteroid based probe is much more convenient.

What exotic particles? What exotic matter?

Btw, the only known interaction between dark matter and 'normal' matter (including antimatter) is through gravitation but we (still) can't really measure gravity (we can only see the results of gravitational forces and conclude from that what gravitation is probably there). The only thing scientist had done was calculating some properties of it so that it fits in our understanding of the universe. But the real nature of dark matter is still unknown.

Then why are they speculating that cosmic rays are interacting with Dark Matter? I'm not supporting their assertions, I'm just curious. There is more dark matter than we can directly detect, there is more cosmic radiation coming at Earth than arrives and so it would appear that somewhere in between both are happening

BTW gravitation always has a positive value. It never 'pushes' away it always 'pulls'. There is no antigravitation or we wouldn't exist because it would rip every matter cluster apart.

I never said that gravity did push, but dark matter is obviously not abundant in our solar system otherwise we would have much more difficulty calculating the orbits, it appears to be repelled by normal matter, but the nature of the repulsion is unknown. Gravity itself could the the cause, since the darks cannot interact with say the Sun as it comes into our gravity well it speeds up and is always thrown clear, therefore the time spent in our gravity well is less than the time it would have if there was no gravity. So for example picture an elliptical orbit and then picture the time spent above the center of the elliptical orbit and below, the amount of time matter spends below the orbit traveling. This is probably the source of propulsion, because normals can interact to form gravity wells, and darks cannot the normal assumes on average a position in gravity wells and the darks assume an average position outside. Another object being thrown from our solar system (actually already thrown) is the Voyager 1 spacecraft. Next year Voayger 2 is thought to exit the heliopause. Thus we have two craft that are heading into the well of mysterious particles.

1. Antimatter doesn't behave exactly the same as matter: CP violation.

2. Also if you have a stuff made of matter and an antimatter particle hits it annihilation occurs. You can detect that annihilation.

How would I know an annihilation deep in space came from anti-helium versus anti-hydrogen? And why exactly would the darks care whether it came from either?

I don't think that Voyagers sensors are built to detect dark matter. Both probes are 40 years old and they are made for planet observation. And both of them don't journey between the stars. They still have a long way to go until they leave our star system (which is thought to be 1 lightyear in diameter).

Officially Voyager 1 is out! It passed the bow shock of our sun well over a year ago. So if there is if darks are lurking about it should be changing its velocity.

Interstellar medium

On September 12, 2013, NASA officially confirmed that Voyager 1 had reached the interstellar medium in August 2012 as previously observed, with a generally accepted date of August 25, 2012, the date durable changes in the density of energetic particles were first detected.^[59][60][61] By this point most space scientists had abandoned the hypothesis that a change in magnetic field direction must accompany crossing of the heliopause;^[60] a new model of the heliopause predicted that no such change would be found.^[71] A key finding that persuaded many scientists that the heliopause had been crossed was an indirect measurement of an 80-fold increase in electron density, based on the frequency of plasma oscillations observed beginning on April 9, 2013,^[60] triggered by a solar outburst that had occurred in March 2012^[57] (electron density is expected to be two orders of magnitude higher outside the heliopause than within.)^[59] Weaker sets of oscillations measured in October and November 2012^[69][72] provided additional data. An indirect measurement was required because Voyager 1's plasma spectrometer had stopped working in 1980.^[61] In September 2013, NASA released audio renditions of these plasma waves. The recordings represent the first sounds to be captured in interstellar space. -da Wikipedia

Its not exactly deaf and dumb, and being the first human made object to reach interstellar we should send a message to all that dark matter in its advance to reveal itself, lol.

[Agate]

There's not all *that* many cosmic rays, the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields offer quite a bit of protection, and many of them go right through you.

[tater]

AMS is on station for one reason I can think of, power usage. ISS has large solar panels. That's why we're looking at cosmic rays from ISS.

[*Aqua*]

Then why are they speculating that cosmic rays are interacting with Dark Matter?

There's no interactions (not counting gravitation). Citation of your citation in your first post:

These results on interpretation have been suggested to be due to positron production in annihilation events of massive dark matter particles.

So they think high-energy positrons are the left-overs from dark matter annihilation.

That's interesting stuff: Why are positrons created in the annihilation events? Could it even be that dark matter is divided in 'normal' dark matter and anti-dark matter (or dark antimatter)?

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dark matter is obviously not abundant in our solar system

I think there was a paper explaining that. But please don't ask me to link it. I always have a hard time reading scientific stuff which is not written in my native language (German). This topic is heavy stuff and I'm only a layman.

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How would I know an annihilation deep in space came from anti-helium versus anti-hydrogen?

Your citation from the first post answers this question.

Cosmic ray antiprotons also have a much higher energy than their normal-matter counterparts (protons). They arrive at Earth with a characteristic energy maximum of 2 GeV, indicating their production in a fundamentally different process from cosmic ray protons, which on average have only one-sixth of the energy.

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Officially Voyager 1 is out! It passed the bow shock of our sun well over a year ago.

It depends on the definition of 'end of solar system'. I mark the end at where the end of the Oort cloud is.

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being the first human made object to reach interstellar we should send a message to all that dark matter in its advance to reveal itself, lol.

Good luck with that! I cheer you on!

[PB666]

AMS is on station for one reason I can think of, power usage. ISS has large solar panels. That's why we're looking at cosmic rays from ISS.

That answers does not address the anti-helium issue, just the composite impact energy issue.

Edited June 11, 2015 by PB666

[YNM]

I'm suspecting that the answer lies upon an easy to understand fact - they're matters. Granted electrons cause a slight trouble due to every matter contains them, and they're more likely to bump other electrons out - but you won't see an alpha particle going through your hand. Spacecraft body itself is enough, there's nothing yet thinner than a paper I guess. Gamma rays are far , far more harder - being photons, they can either kick the electron out (breaking bonds in the process), absorbed and re-emitted, or making the nucleus enters a metastable state, but there's not a plenty of them. To give comparison, today's photons in the Universe are still largely CMB photons ! Which is in microwave... No need to worry apart of getting heated. If there's a main source of UV, X-rays and gamma rays in the solar system, it'd be the Sun, not some distant GRB.