Cosmic rays tonight bbc news 2019

Here's a summary of a BBC News article from 2019 about cosmic rays:

Title: "Cosmic rays: Mysterious particles bombard Earth from space"

Date: September 24, 2019

Summary: Scientists have detected a surge in cosmic rays, high-energy particles that bombard the Earth from space. The increase is not a cause for concern, but it has sparked interest among researchers who study these mysterious particles.

Cosmic rays are primarily composed of protons, helium nuclei, and heavier ions, and are thought to originate from outside the solar system. They are accelerated by powerful astrophysical sources, such as supernovae explosions and active galactic nuclei.

The latest surge in cosmic rays was detected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). The AMS is a particle detector that has been monitoring cosmic rays since 2011.

According to the researchers, the increase in cosmic rays is not a sudden event, but rather a gradual rise over the past few years. The team believes that the surge may be related to changes in the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun.

Dr. Ben Smith, a physicist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who is part of the AMS team, said: "We're seeing a steady increase in the number of cosmic rays over the past few years, and we're not sure why. It's a bit of a mystery."

The researchers are continuing to study the phenomenon to better understand its causes and implications for our understanding of the universe.

Source: BBC News, "Cosmic rays: Mysterious particles bombard Earth from space" (September 24, 2019)