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Searching for the Universe’s Most Energetic Particles, Astronomers Turn on Radio
- hilbert42 6y ago"And as jaw-dropping as an average ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray may be, the very rare overachievers that researchers have managed to observe are truly astonishing, carrying energies up to 300 times greater—a whopping 300,000 PeV. For reference, that means an especially speedy subatomic projectile hurtling out of deep space can pack the wallop of a well-hit tennis ball." I am unable to conceive what would happen if one of these particles were to hit an astronaut with only his/her spacesuit for protection. Does anyone really know? Or has any modeling been done on the subject? (It seems to me that given that enormous energy level, then one just particle alone has the potential to bring about the death of an astronaut.)
- cozzyd 6y agomost of the energy would be deposited outside the astronaut :) In terms of total energy fluence, lower energy cosmic rays are probably worse (and basically equally unshieldable).