Ooty's GRAPES-3 Telescope Achieves Breakthrough in Tracking Cosmic Rays and Muons

The Event

Scientists operating the Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS (GRAPES-3) telescope in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, have published a major scientific breakthrough. The research successfully tracked how solar magnetic fields and upper atmospheric temperature changes affect the intensity of cosmic-ray muons. This discovery allows for highly precise measurements of solar storms, aiding in the protection of satellites and communication grids.

Background & Context

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles originating outside the solar system. When they enter Earth's atmosphere, they collide with air molecules, generating a shower of secondary particles, including muons. The GRAPES-3 telescope, which houses the world's largest and most sensitive muon detector, has been monitoring these particles for decades. The new findings establish a direct link between solar activity, geomagnetic storms, and atmospheric temperature changes on muon flux.

Key Statistics

• GRAPES-3 Altitude: Located at 2,200 meters above sea level in Ooty.
• Muon Telescope Array: Consists of 16 muon detectors covering an area of 560 square meters.
• Scintillator Detectors: Supported by 400 plastic scintillator detectors spread over 25,000 square meters.

Static GK & Related Facts

• TIFR: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, a premier public research institution in Mumbai, established in 1945 by Dr. Homi J. Bhabha.
• Muons: Subatomic elementary particles similar to electrons but with a much larger mass (approx. 207 times heavier) and a short lifetime of 2.2 microseconds.
• Cosmic Rays: Discovered by Victor Hess in 1912 (for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936).