What are cosmic rays?.

[qiyue]

The base structure of all things is the atom. Atoms are full of movement, both internally (electrons orbiting the nucleus) and externally (interacting with other atoms). This movement creates kinetic energy that is measured in electron volts (eV). The atoms of the air we breathe move as fast as cannonballs and generate around 0.03 eV. They bounce into other atoms of air but, like bumper cars at a fairground, they don’t do much harm to each other.

Elsewhere we find atomic particles moving much faster than this, which create more heat and more energy. Electrons within the Sun’s plasma have up to 10,000 eV, and protons in the magnetosphere are higher still, in the range of 10 - 100 million eV. The atomic particles in the magnetosphere move at speeds of 400-800 kilometres per second.

This is all rather calm relative to the greater universe. Bombarding the Earth from light years away are the ions we call cosmic rays. They can move close to the speed of light and can pack a walloping 50 joules of kinetic energy (3 × 1020 eV). That’s the power of a cricket ball moving at 160 km/h, packed into the size of a sub-atomic particle.

Most cosmic rays are the nuclei of atoms (protons), ranging from the lightest to the heaviest elements in the periodic table. The lightest elements are the most common, with hydrogen (89%) and helium (10%) dominating, along with other light elements (lithium, beryllium and boron). A few will be medium elements like carbon or oxygen, with heavier elements becoming less and less common. This is a similar relative abundance to the elements within our solar system.

[mharratsc]

I think it would be important to differentiate between vibrational energy and inertia in your description.

Also, it should be noted that electric fields are the predominant accelerators of ions.

[The Great Dog]

Cosmic Ray Guns

TGD