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cosmic ray
(redirected from Cosmic rays)

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.06 sec.
cosmic ray
n.
A stream of ionizing radiation of extraterrestrial origin, consisting chiefly of protons, alpha particles, and other atomic nuclei but including some high-energy electrons, that enters the atmosphere, collides with atomic nuclei, and produces secondary radiation, principally pions, muons, electrons, and gamma rays.

cosmic ray
A ray of radiation of extraterrestrial origin, consisting of one or more charged particles such as protons, alpha particles, and larger atomic nuclei. Cosmic rays entering the atmosphere collide with atoms, producing secondary radiation, such as pions, muons, electrons, and gamma rays. Cosmic rays (and secondary radiation) can be easily seen in a cloud chamber.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.cosmic ray - highly penetrating ionizing radiation of extraterrestrial origin; consisting chiefly of protons and alpha particles; collision with atmospheric particles results in rays and particles of many kinds
ionizing radiation - high-energy radiation capable of producing ionization in substances through which it passes
cosmic radiation - radiation coming from outside the solar system


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Kamioka Observatory uses Super-Kamiokande - the world's largest water Cherenkov detector for cosmic particles, installed underground in the Kamioka region of Hida city, located in Gifu prefecture of central Japan - to capture particles known as neutrinos, a type of cosmic rays that are perpetually falling from outer space to earth.
For pessimists, the heavens offer a host of doomsday scenarios--an asteroid crashing into Earth or deadly cosmic rays raining down on the planet.
Tokyo, Japan, Sept 20, 2005 - (JCNN) - Fujitsu Laboratories has developed two technologies that predict the rates of software errors and malfunctions on logic circuits, caused partly by neutrons found in cosmic rays.
 
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