# CERN Large Hadron Collider cosmic ray simulations

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/cern-large-hadron-collider-cosmic-ray-simulations
> Updated: 2026-09-25T14:13:04.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Physicists at CERN have utilized the Large Hadron Collider to simulate the initial moments of cosmic rainstorms. By conducting the first laboratory collisions of oxygen atoms with protons, researchers replicated the process where high-energy cosmic rays, originating from sources like supermassive black holes or exploding stars, strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere to create particle showers.

Subsequent reports indicate that this experiment, which involved colliding proton beams with oxygen ions, suggests that previous computer simulations and models regarding these atmospheric interactions were inaccurate. The findings, published in Physical Review Letters, provide a more precise understanding of how exotic particles from deep space interact with the atmosphere.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-25: Large Hadron Collider recreates cosmic ray atmospheric collisions

Physicists at the Large Hadron Collider have recreated cosmic ray interactions with Earth's atmosphere by colliding protons with oxygen ions, revealing that previous scientific models were inaccurate.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/large-hadron-collider-recreates-cosmic-ray-atmospheric-collisions

### 2026-09-14: CERN physicists simulate the birth of cosmic rainstorms

Physicists using CERN’s Large Hadron Collider have simulated the birth of cosmic rainstorms by colliding oxygen atoms with protons to better understand how cosmic rays create particle showers.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cern-physicists-simulate-the-birth-of-cosmic-rainstorms

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Cite as: CERN Large Hadron Collider cosmic ray simulations. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/cern-large-hadron-collider-cosmic-ray-simulations