Cosmic rays, once enigmatic, are now understood to be particles, the nuclei of atoms, continuously bombarding the Earth. This book narrates the detective story behind the discovery and study of cosmic rays, spanning from the 1890s to modern high-energy astrophysics. Michael Friedlander, a cosmic ray researcher, presents the history of cosmic ray science, detailing its accidental discovery and current status. He explains how cosmic rays are identified and their energies measured, while surveying contemporary knowledge and theories about these phenomena. This comprehensive and accessible account invites readers into the exploration of cosmic rays' nature, behavior, and origins, highlighting their immense energy—often hundreds of millions of times greater than that produced by Earth’s most powerful particle accelerators. The search for cosmic rays has led to the discovery of new particles, including muons, pions, kaons, and hyperons, while revealing scenes of cosmic violence and offering insights into black holes, supernovas, neutron stars, quasars, and neutrinos. This engagingly written and attractively illustrated work provides a captivating glimpse into a field central to our understanding of the universe.
