Super-Kamiokande Finds Structure in the Cosmic Ray Sky

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A collision between a high-energy cosmic ray particle and an atom in a photographic emulsion as viewed through a microscope. Credit: NASA Dr. David P. Stern
A collision between a high-energy cosmic ray particle and an atom in a photographic emulsion, as viewed through a microscope. Credit: NASA, Dr. David P. Stern

Cosmic rays, which are high-energy atomic nuclei driven by spectacular cosmic events, come to us from every direction on the sky. Most of them are destroyed high in the atmosphere, creating a shower of high-speed particles that penetrate sky and earth with ease. Surprising results from Japan's Super-Kamiokande underground observatory have recently shown that the distribution of cosmic rays on the sky is not uniform, a useful clue to the nature of these cosmic voyagers.


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