Large Hadron Collider recreates cosmic ray atmospheric collisions

Physicists using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have successfully recreated the interactions between high-energy cosmic rays and the Earth's atmosphere. By colliding proton beams with oxygen ions, an international team of scientists has simulated the conditions that occur when high-energy particles, such as those produced by supernovae, strike atmospheric gases.

This experiment marks the first time oxygen ion beams have been used in this manner at the LHC. The findings, published in Physical Review Letters, suggest that previous computer simulations and models regarding these interactions were inaccurate. The data provides a more precise understanding of how exotic particles from deep space interact with our atmosphere, offering new insights into the nature of the universe.