Context

• The GRAPES-3 experiment of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research has revealed a new aspect in the field of cosmic ray physics.

Key Points

• The GRAPES-3 experiment, located in Ooty, India, began in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India, and Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.
• Recently researchers have identified a distinctive feature in the cosmic-ray proton spectrum at an energy level of about 166 tera-electron-volts (TeV).
• It spans a measurement range from 50 TeV to slightly more than one peta-electron-volt (PEV).
• This leads to potential changes in our understanding of the origin of cosmic rays, their acceleration processes, and their movement within the galaxy.

Objective

• To study the origin, acceleration and propagation of >1014 eV cosmic rays in the Milky Way and beyond.
• Understanding the existence of "Knee" in the energy spectrum of cosmic rays.
• To study the production of the highest energy (~1020 eV) cosmic rays in the universe.
• To study the astrometry of multi-TeV γ-rays from neutron stars and other compact objects.

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR EXAM

Cosmic Rays

• Cosmic rays are considered to be the most energetic particles in the universe. They originate in outer space and fall to Earth.
• About 90% of cosmic rays (particles) are protons; About 10% are helium nuclei; And the number of heavy elements and electrons is less than 1%.
• These rays were discovered more than a century ago.
• The history of cosmic ray exploration dates back to Victor Hess's 1912 discovery, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936.