CERN physicists simulate the birth of cosmic rainstorms

Physicists have successfully simulated the initial moments of cosmic rainstorms using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. By conducting the first laboratory collisions of oxygen atoms with protons, researchers were able to replicate the process where cosmic rays strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere to create particle showers.

These cosmic rays, which are fast-moving atomic nuclei primarily composed of hydrogen, originate from distant, high-energy areas of the universe such as supermassive black holes and exploding stars. While the phenomenon of cosmic radiation has been studied since Victor Hess’s Nobel Prize-winning discoveries in the early 20th century, this new research provides a more precise understanding of how these particle showers are born. The findings have been published in Physical Review Letters.