scholarly journals Japanese volcanoes visualized with muography

2018 ◽  
Vol 377 (2137) ◽  
pp. 20180142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki K. M. Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Density Distribution ◽  
Observational Data ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Lava Dome ◽  
Imaging Technique ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Dome Formation ◽  
Magma Convection

High-energy muons that are generated via the reaction between primary cosmic rays and the Earth's atmosphere can be used to map out the density distribution in shallow parts of a volcano's interior. This new subterranean imaging technique called muography has been applied to three different kinds of volcano dynamics in Japan: lava dome formation, vulcanian explosions and magma convection. Taking all of the observational data together, it appears that muography can serve as a new and alternative volcano observation technique, providing a fresh approach to understanding eruption mechanism. This review describes observational studies in which muography has been used to explore the volcano's interior. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Cosmic-ray muography’.

scholarly journals Applications of muon absorption radiography to the fields of archaeology and civil engineering

2018 ◽  
Vol 377 (2137) ◽  
pp. 20180057 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Saracino ◽  
F. Ambrosino ◽  
L. Bonechi ◽  
L. Cimmino ◽  
R. D'Alessandro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Density Distribution ◽  
Physical Process ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Imaging Technique ◽  
Mass Density ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Muon Flux ◽  
Particle Detector ◽  
Muon Radiography

Muon radiography, also known as muography, is an imaging technique that provides information on the mass density distribution inside large objects. Muons are naturally produced in the interactions of cosmic rays in the Earth's atmosphere. The physical process exploited by muography is the attenuation of the muon flux, that depends on the thickness and density of matter that muons cross in the course of their trajectory. A particle detector with tracking capability allows the measurement of the muons flux as a function of the muon direction. The comparison of the measured muon flux with the expected one gives information on the distribution of the density of matter, in particular, on the presence of cavities. In this article, the measurement performed at Mt. Echia in Naples (Saracino 2017 Sci. Rep. 7 , 1181. ( doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01277-3 )), will be discussed as a practical example of the possible application of muography in archaeology and civil engineering. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Cosmic-ray muography’.

scholarly journals High energy cosmic ray interactions and UHECR composition problem

2019 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 02001
Author(s):  
Sergey Ostapchenko
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Ultra High Energy ◽  
Hadronic Interactions ◽  
High Energy Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray Interactions ◽  
Composition Problem

The differences between contemporary Monte Carlo generators of high energy hadronic interactions are discussed and their impact on the interpretation of experimental data on ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) is studied. Key directions for further model improvements are outlined. The prospect for a coherent interpretation of the data in terms of the UHECR composition is investigated.

scholarly journals Sound-wave instabilities in dilute plasmas with cosmic rays: implications for cosmic ray confinement and the Perseus X-ray ripples

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (4) ◽  
pp. 5323-5335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Kempski ◽  
Eliot Quataert ◽  
Jonathan Squire
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Thermal Plasma ◽  
Acoustic Waves ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Density Fluctuations ◽  
Sound Waves ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Acoustic Instability ◽  
Anisotropic Viscosity

ABSTRACT Weakly collisional, magnetized plasmas characterized by anisotropic viscosity and conduction are ubiquitous in galaxies, haloes, and the intracluster medium (ICM). Cosmic rays (CRs) play an important role in these environments as well, by providing additional pressure and heating to the thermal plasma. We carry out a linear stability analysis of weakly collisional plasmas with CRs using Braginskii MHD for the thermal gas. We assume that the CRs stream at the Alfvén speed, which in a weakly collisional plasma depends on the pressure anisotropy (Δp) of the thermal plasma. We find that this Δp dependence introduces a phase shift between the CR-pressure and gas-density fluctuations. This drives a fast-growing acoustic instability: CRs offset the damping of acoustic waves by anisotropic viscosity and give rise to wave growth when the ratio of CR pressure to gas pressure is ≳αβ−1/2, where β is the ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure, and α, typically ≲1, depends on other dimensionless parameters. In high-β environments like the ICM, this condition is satisfied for small CR pressures. We speculate that the instability studied here may contribute to the scattering of high-energy CRs and to the excitation of sound waves in galaxy-halo, group and cluster plasmas, including the long-wavelength X-ray fluctuations in Chandra observations of the Perseus cluster. It may also be important in the vicinity of shocks in dilute plasmas (e.g. cluster virial shocks or galactic wind termination shocks), where the CR pressure is locally enhanced.

scholarly journals Cosmic Rays and the Dynamic Balance in the Large Magellanic Cloud

1990 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 537-541
Author(s):  
Carl E. Fichtel ◽  
Mehmet E. Ozel ◽  
Robert G. Stone
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Dynamic Balance ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Density Level ◽  
Energy Gamma ◽  
Galactic Dynamic

AbstractPresent and future measurement of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) particularly in the radio and high energy gamma ray range offer the possibility of understanding the density and distribution of the cosmic rays in a galaxy other than our own and the role that they play in galactic dynamic balance. After a study of the consistency of the measurements and interpretation of the synchrotron radiation from our own galaxy, the cosmic ray distribution for the LMC is calculated under the assumption that the cosmic ray nucleon to electron ratio is the same and the relation to the magnetic fields are the same, although the implications of alternatives are discussed. It is seen that the cosmic ray density level appears to be similar to that in our own galaxy, but varying in position in a manner generally consistent with the concept of correlation with the matter on a broad scale.

scholarly journals On the flux of high-energy cosmogenic neutrinos and the influence of the extragalactic magnetic field

2019 ◽  
Vol 488 (1) ◽  
pp. L119-L122 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Wittkowski ◽  
Karl-Heinz Kampert
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Neutrino Flux ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Observation Time ◽  
Cosmological Time ◽  
Cosmic Background ◽  
The Universe

ABSTRACT Cosmogenic neutrinos originate from interactions of cosmic rays propagating through the universe with cosmic background photons. Since both high-energy cosmic rays and cosmic background photons exist, the existence of high-energy cosmogenic neutrinos is certain. However, their flux has not been measured so far. Therefore, we calculated the flux of high-energy cosmogenic neutrinos arriving at the Earth on the basis of elaborate 4D simulations that take into account three spatial degrees of freedom and the cosmological time-evolution of the universe. Our predictions for this neutrino flux are consistent with the recent upper limits obtained from large-scale cosmic-ray experiments. We also show that the extragalactic magnetic field has a strong influence on the neutrino flux. The results of this work are important for the design of future neutrino observatories, since they allow to assess the detector volume and observation time that are necessary to detect high-energy cosmogenic neutrinos in the near future. An observation of such neutrinos would push multimessenger astronomy to hitherto unachieved energy scales.

USING THE WESTERBORK RADIO OBSERVATORY TO DETECT UHE COSMIC PARTICLES INTERACTING ON THE MOON

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (supp01) ◽  
pp. 147-152
Author(s):  
J. BACELAR ◽  
O. SCHOLTEN ◽  
A. G. de BRUYN ◽  
H. FALCKE
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Radio Telescope ◽  
Radio Pulse ◽  
Lunar Regolith ◽  
Neutrino Flux ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Observation Time ◽  
Flux Limit ◽  
Null Result

Ultra-High-Energy (UHE) particles of cosmological origin (cosmic-rays and neutrinos), carry information on the most spectacular events known. These extremely energetic (energies larger than 1 ZeV= 1021 eV) cosmic-rays or neutrinos initiate in the lunar regolith a cascade of charged particles which acts as a radio pulse emitter. The instantaneous power produced can be detected here at the Earth, with a radio telescope operating at the optimal frequency window around 150 MHz. Using 12 telescopes of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, WSRT, with a field of view covering the whole lunar surface, our calculations show that one should identify 10 UHE events within an observation time of 500 hours, assuming an extrapolated power law dependence of the highest ever measured cosmic-ray events, around an energy of 1020 eV. A null result will determine unambiguously the GKZ effect for the cosmic-ray flux and improve the present world upper limit on the neutrino flux above 1 ZeV, by three orders of magnitude, allowing for the first time to test the Waxman-Bahcall neutrino flux limit.

scholarly journals Composition and Galactic Confinement of Cosmic Rays

1971 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 740-756
Author(s):  
Maurice M. Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Interstellar Space ◽  
Heavy Nuclei ◽  
High Energy Astrophysics ◽  
Transit Times ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Path Lengths

The ‘Galactic’ cosmic rays impinging on the Earth come from afar over tortuous paths, traveling for millions of years. These particles are the only known samples of matter that reach us from regions of space beyond the solar system. Their chemical and isotopic composition and their energy spectra provide clues to the nature of cosmic-ray sources, the properties of interstellar space, and the dynamics of the Galaxy. Various processes in high-energy astrophysics could be illuminated by a more complete understanding of the arriving cosmic rays, including the electrons and gamma rays.En route, some of theprimordialcosmic-ray nuclei have been transformed by collision with interstellar matter, and the composition is substantially modified by these collisions. A dramatic consequence of the transformations is the presence in the arriving ‘beam’ of considerable fluxes of purely secondary elements (Li, Be, B), i.e., species that are, in all probability, essentially absent at the sources. We shall here discuss mainly the composition of the arriving ‘heavy’ nuclei -those heavier than helium - and what they teach us about thesourcecomposition, the galactic confinement of the particles, their path lengths, and their transit times.

scholarly journals The Pierre Auger Observatory: Review of Latest Results and Perspectives

Universe ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz Góra ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Spectrum ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Pierre Auger Observatory ◽  
Mass Composition ◽  
Ultra High Energy ◽  
Energy Limitation ◽  
Arrival Directions

The Pierre Auger Observatory is the world’s largest operating detection system for the observation of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), with energies above 10 17 eV. The detector allows detailed measurements of the energy spectrum, mass composition and arrival directions of primary cosmic rays in the energy range above 10 17 eV. The data collected at the Auger Observatory over the last decade show the suppression of the cosmic ray flux at energies above 4 × 10 19 eV. However, it is still unclear if this suppression is caused by the energy limitation of their sources or by the Greisen–Zatsepin–Kuzmin (GZK) cut-off. In such a case, UHECRs would interact with the microwave background (CMB), so that particles traveling long intergalactic distances could not have energies greater than 5 × 10 19 eV. The other puzzle is the origin of UHECRs. Some clues can be drawn from studying the distribution of their arrival directions. The recently observed dipole anisotropy has an orientation that indicates an extragalactic origin of UHECRs. The Auger surface detector array is also sensitive to showers due to ultra high energy neutrinos of all flavors and photons, and recent neutrino and photon limits provided by the Auger Observatory can constrain models of the cosmogenic neutrino production and exotic scenarios of the UHECRs origin, such as the decays of super heavy, non-standard-model particles. In this paper, the recent results on measurements of the energy spectrum, mass composition and arrival directions of cosmic rays, as well as future prospects are presented.

scholarly journals The Origin of the Most Energetic Galactic Cosmic Rays: Supernova Explosions into Massive Star Plasma Winds

Galaxies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter L. Biermann ◽  
Philipp P. Kronberg ◽  
Michael L. Allen ◽  
Athina Meli ◽  
Eun-Suk Seo
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Magnetic Field Strength ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Starburst Galaxy ◽  
Supergiant Star

We propose that the high energy Cosmic Ray particles up to the upturn commonly called the ankle, from around the spectral turn-down commonly called the knee, mostly come from Blue Supergiant star explosions. At the upturn, i.e., the ankle, Cosmic Rays probably switch to another source class, most likely extragalactic sources. To show this we recently compiled a set of Radio Supernova data where we compute the magnetic field, shock speed and shock radius. This list included both Blue and Red Supergiant star explosions; both data show the same magnetic field strength for these two classes of stars despite very different wind densities and velocities. Using particle acceleration theory at shocks, those numbers can be transformed into characteristic ankle and knee energies. Without adjusting any free parameters both of these observed energies are directly indicated by the supernova data. In the next step in the argument, we use the Supernova Remnant data of the starburst galaxy M82. We apply this analysis to Blue Supergiant star explosions: The shock will race to their outer edge with a magnetic field that is observed to follow over several orders of magnitude B ( r ) × r ∼ c o n s t . , with in fact the same magnetic field strength for such stellar explosions in our Galaxy, and other galaxies including M82. The speed is observed to be ∼0.1 c out to about 10 16 cm radius in the plasma wind. The Supernova shock can run through the entire magnetic plasma wind region at full speed all the way out to the wind-shell, which is of order parsec scale in M82. We compare and identify the Cosmic Ray spectrum in other galaxies, in the starburst galaxy M82 and in our Galaxy with each other; we suggest how Blue Supergiant star explosions can provide the Cosmic Ray particles across the knee and up to the ankle energy range. The data from the ISS-CREAM (Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass Experiment at the International Space Station) mission will test this cosmic ray concept which is reasonably well grounded in two independent radio supernova data sets. The next step in developing our understanding will be to obtain future more accurate Cosmic Ray data near to the knee, and to use unstable isotopes of Cosmic Ray nuclei at high energy to probe the “piston” driving the explosion. We plan to incorporate these data with the physics of the budding black hole which is probably forming in each of these stars.

scholarly journals Cosmic-ray propagation around the Sun: investigating the influence of the solar magnetic field on the cosmic-ray Sun shadow

2020 ◽  
Vol 633 ◽  
pp. A83
Author(s):  
J. Becker Tjus ◽  
P. Desiati ◽  
N. Döpper ◽  
H. Fichtner ◽  
J. Kleimann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Activity ◽  
Solar Cycle ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Solar Magnetic Field ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Solar Activity ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Theoretical Understanding

The cosmic-ray Sun shadow, which is caused by high-energy charged cosmic rays being blocked and deflected by the Sun and its magnetic field, has been observed by various experiments, such as Argo-YBJ, Tibet, HAWC, and IceCube. Most notably, the shadow’s size and depth was recently shown to correlate with the 11-year solar cycle. The interpretation of such measurements, which help to bridge the gap between solar physics and high-energy particle astrophysics, requires a solid theoretical understanding of cosmic-ray propagation in the coronal magnetic field. It is the aim of this paper to establish theoretical predictions for the cosmic-ray Sun shadow in order to identify observables that can be used to study this link in more detail. To determine the cosmic-ray Sun shadow, we numerically compute trajectories of charged cosmic rays in the energy range of 5−316 TeV for five different mass numbers. We present and analyze the resulting shadow images for protons and iron, as well as for typically measured cosmic-ray compositions. We confirm the observationally established correlation between the magnitude of the shadowing effect and both the mean sunspot number and the polarity of the magnetic field during the solar cycle. We also show that during low solar activity, the Sun’s shadow behaves similarly to that of a dipole, for which we find a non-monotonous dependence on energy. In particular, the shadow can become significantly more pronounced than the geometrical disk expected for a totally unmagnetized Sun. For times of high solar activity, we instead predict the shadow to depend monotonously on energy and to be generally weaker than the geometrical shadow for all tested energies. These effects should become visible in energy-resolved measurements of the Sun shadow, and may in the future become an independent measure for the level of disorder in the solar magnetic field.

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