Our son is a second or Third Generation stone it evolved out of the gas and dust that remain off to oldest. Player. Everything that surrounds us all living beings the air we breathe the water we drink is composed of asms that were formed inside stuff but. We are essentially stardust. That concept suggests that there may be life elsewhere in the universe to. But this is some should may be incomplete recent research has brought amazing revelations to light the role that stars play is far greater than previously thought. Stars not only provide asms the basic materials that make up living beings they may also be responsible for the Origin Development and extinction of life throughout the universe. How can such distant stars influence our lives. And. We embarked on a journey taking in some of the worlds top Research Facilities to try to find an invisible natural phenomenon cosmic rays. Its an exciting world where astronomy meets particle physics and biology. The cosmic rays may provide the connection between life and the most distant stars. And we. Have stars supply more than just the matter from which we are made. Our journey begins in Southern Europe this is color alter a german spanish observatory in the south of spain. The region sunny and dry Climate Office either. Conditions for sky scientists under the harbor works here as an astrophysicist and after of the market got out of we use the telescopes here at color alto to find out what stars are made of and which elements are currently being created in those stars. And i say. This reflecting telescope collects visible and infrared starlight. Telescopes like this played a key role in astronomy in the Twentieth Century and helped scientists to confirm that stars dont live forever. Its now middle aged and in five billion years it will die. The universe has a wealth of regions where hydrogen and other heavier atoms accumulate. These are special places where one of the most beautiful phenomena in astronomy can be observed the actual birth of stars. And stores are formed from dust and gas clouds that accumulate due to gravity. They build up a bond that eventually generates so much energy that the most elementary atoms the Hydrogen Atoms join together then of course only that and they form more complex out of. The Immense Energy and the stars enables the creation of new heavy atoms through Nuclear Fusion elements such as helium Carbon Hydrogen silicon and ion are produced in gigantic stellar furnace is. A mass of stars that are at the end of their lives explode as super nervous releasing all these atoms into space. The resulting stardust and gas form the Raw Materials for new stars and planetary systems. Exploding stars also release large amounts of High Energy Particles known as cosmic rays atomic particles that are holed into space at almost the speed of light. But theres a problem with finding out more about cosmic rays telescopes such as those in color auto can track the light that comes from stars light is energy in the form of photons humans can also observe this optical spectral range on a limited scale. Most telescopes built in the Twentieth Century contract photons some examine visible or infrared light. Well as long way of radiation such as radio waves or short wave radiation such as x. Rays the better for all their sophistication none of these telescopes can detect cosmic radiation. To detect these elusive particles scientists need edition options using the very latest technology and developing new approaches to astronomy am. Mendosa province in western argentina next to the Andes Mountains is home to the p. F. Observatory the largest facility of its kind in the world. The site covers an area the size of six hundred thousand soccer pitches and is located in one of the flattest and most remote regions of south america. Scientists are able to detect and measure cosmic rays. This is a Spark Chamber a device for detecting electrically charged particles. When a charged particle passes through the chamber it triggers a flash of light this shows the path of the particle. The particles have so much energy that they cross the chamber with ease. But the spot chamber is not very efficient many of the particles whizzing around and into us do not show up here. And no one in the lab is sending particles into the chamber where it is and stored in the deserts and the ocean in cities at the equator all the new. All south pole the chamber shows charged particles everywhere. There should be no more of us if you want to be free of too soon or too too hard from the groups you are in the super soft earth who resubmitted to reduce you should usually just come in from all to speech. The charges that we can see in the spark taber our cosmic rays theyre not light rays theyre subatomic particles tiny Building Blocks of matter that come from outer space almost at the speed of light. Their enormous energy allows them to reach the earths surface where they hit just about everyone and everything. But theyre invisible outside the starting grid least. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century scientists open the door to an unknown and highly mysterious world the in a structure of atoms. They found electrons protons and a range of new subatomic particles. But something strange happened in their experiments. It made scientific history as run shell art explains. And we begin to realize im saying to begin to realize that there was always sort of a. Thing i mean the chair of leave. This simple electricity ive had two metal plates hanging on a rod as soon as electrical voltage was applied to the rod the plates moved to pass because theyre the same type of charge. The waste of the plates pushed them back into their original position but they ought to have remained disconnected from each other because of their electrical repulsion. The scientists were stunned to find that the plates began to discharge for no discernible reason regardless of how the experiment was carried out in the end they always returned to their original position. By the beginning of for the brand of the last of the Nineteenth Century of the Twentieth Century scientists realized that nature had. Some of these elements released charged particles that could explain the rep at discharge of the plates perhaps some stuff in the atmosphere of the floor and it was meeting pretty pictures which is essentially charge particles and this is what was provoking the. Slowly could shove charge from. Electras tactical objects. A reasonable explanation if the radioactive elements were the problem all youd have to do was conduct experiments under isolated conditions. In one thousand eleven german physicists of earth climbed the eiffel tower carrying an advanced electra scope to test this theory. But the device discharged faster than before so isolation was evidently not the solution. But even led to the discharge it didnt come from earth. In nine hundred twelve austrian physicist victor ahead carried out a daring experiment. And what it did was to put a lot of school. Work back i mean it was quite quite the feat because he went back to Something Like five thousand meters. The first thousand meters at bedtime. Sitting in a little basket and its probably a little bit frightening but science is a little bit like them and. There is always a sort of at the very nature associated to. His observations surprised everyone. And we have used the word the movie the stronger point so it meant that whatever effect was causing that it got on you were stronger as you went more far away from from the ground. The radiation evidently did not come from us so scientists would have to look some way further afield for the source. That eventually led to the study of cosmic rays. Nearly one hundred years later that with continues here at the p. L. O. Observe the train. Meet. With mr physicist pava muckluck tells us what makes the facilities so special. To me. If you want to know what is out there in the skies you start with what you can see with your own eyes you investigate the visible. In the past century weve built big telescopes to investigate also the radio portion of the electromagnetic radiation and satellites which investigate the ultra violet. But if you focus only on the electromagnetic radiation youre missing on the a big part of information which is actually coming to us from space meaning. The scientists who study cosmic rays are not looking for life that comes from space theyre looking for political views. Ninety percent of these particles are protons nuclei off the Hydrogen Atom most of the rest are helium nuclei which one percent comprising electrons and heavy in the u. K. Are such as iron ore nitrogen. Based on their energy we can roughly categorize the cosmic rays into three main kotecha reasons we have the lower energy go through the rains which are coming from the sun. Mostly because its so close then we have the middle range of energies where our come from grace coming from within our galaxy and there is a good evidence deads these cosmic rays are coming from super know by which are these massive explosions of stars. Finally in the very very highest energies and we believe the cosmic rays are coming from outside our galaxy. And there is a theory that actually they are coming from what we call active collecting nuclei which are centers of galaxies with very high star formation. The energy cost mcraes of the sun produced one of the most beautiful natural phenomena on. The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights in the Northern Hemisphere and the rural strawn is in the southern hemisphere. What happens to these government rates depends on how much energy to carry if you have these low energy cost me grace for example those which come from the sun they are mostly shielded by the Magnetic Field of the earth so they follow the field lines of the Magnetic Fields and end up in the north and south polar regions where you can see them as the magnificent norton lights but there is also does are a kind of cosmic rays those very High Energy Cosmic rays which just go through the Magnetic Field and doesnt care about it at all. And the Northern Lights are impressive but the phenomenon that released the unusual thing about this radiation a star unfortunately we cant see it so ds get into the atmosphere and hit a molecule of air and on the interaction it creates more particles which are going in random directions its like a train collision so before all the cars or the train are going in a single direction and after a collision each car goes in a slightly different there are two techniques particles from the interaction of the primary can cause mcgregor and these particles hit out or their mortal. So you have more particles and more interactions and eventually you have this because kate of particle trillions of them which are going through the sky. The only difference between the polar lights and these particle showers is the energy content of the respective cosmic rays. The particles that come from the sun have a lower energy level and are diverted from the earths Magnetic Field to the poles. In the added layers of the eye on a spear they energise gases like oxygen nitrogen and helium when the gases return to their normal state they missed photons that we know as a war as. The earths Magnetic Field however cannot deflect the most energy rich particles cosmic rays from other stars reach our atmosphere all around the globe creating a particle shower comprising millions of particles. The creation and destruction of particles takes place almost at the speed of light most of them or. Some of them actually billions of reach to grab what you can you can just put the palm of your hand and each second couple particles going. And these are the particles we can call it was the surface detectors was. One thousand six hundred sixty tanks make up the surface detector at the pier that was the observatory. All of them are filled with water the detector covers an area of fifty by sixty kilometers its the Largest Observatory ever built. When cosmic rays reach the earths surface here theyre registered by the water tanks a single cosmic ray can produce a particle shalah that stretches over several square kilometers and a small tenuously detected by different containers. But its not the only way how we can figure out the showers are actually. When the particles go from the atmosphere inside the air molecules. So you have this energy stored in the air molecules which is later shown as a light so if your eye was more sensitive you could see a flash of light going to be strong in another flash another from because our eyes are not sensitive enough we need to use socalled fluorescent detectors which take a movie of the sky very very fast move your discovery. And. Esther physicist bronchial art shows us one of the fluorescence detectors. There are four buildings like this one on the observatory site. Ok we just arrived here at the fluorescent. Call mostly only. If you look at least big map we are exactly at this point here we have three out there one is core your core which is on this part of the marked on the west of the area the other one is more of those which is here on the east side of. The site and then you have my reader which is where you know whites in the north. Are few here for the one thousand six hundred sixty which makes the surface the. Inside and only at night the instruments collect the faint light thats produced by the cosmic rays. Behind these windows several mirrors guide light on to the highly sensitive electronic detectors. They can detect a small light bulb from a distance of more than thirty kilometers. The full fluorescents detectors observe the sky above the network of water tanks. Particle showers can therefore be examined at the same time by the surface and fluorescents detectors with very High Accuracy this is what makes the Worlds Largest cosmic radiation observatory so effective. Math the study of astro particles is still a very young science we now know that High Energy Particles bombard us relentlessly but do these particles actually impact on our lives. And could cause make rays provide the link between life on earth and distant stars. We continue our journey to find the answers to those questions. To understand the connection between cosmic rays and life we visit the Spanish Center for astrobiology and madrid. It works closely with nasa the u. S. Space agency. Get more money as cargo uses this spec in chamber to create conditions like those found in space. He wants to find out how the Building Blocks of life are created. The vacuum chamber is designed to simulate phenomena like the clouds of gas and dust between the stars these clouds are huge and consist mostly of Hydrogen Plus tiny carbon and silicon dust particles. In. The near moscows dense molecular clouds contain hydrogen and dust the dust just surrounded by a sheet of ice the ice consists mostly of water but also of other molecules such as Carbon MonoxideCarbon Dioxide or ammonia. The accumulation of gas and dust prevents radiation from neighboring stars from penetrating the cloud but there is one thing in space that has no problem breaking through to the deepest and coldest regions. The energy of the cosmic rays is so high that it can penetrate the dense interior of dark cold clouds. And something completely unexpected is taking place in this hostile environment. Within this extreme environment where the temperature is near absolute zero weve discovered molecular precursors of life. These are good molecules. Theyre responsible for the formation of amino acids and sugars you know if you look more like a leaf you know you can mean both of us were lucky enough to credit. The energy of cosmic rays discharges via these molecules the first Building Blocks of life are formed in this chemical concoction. So cosmic rays produce complex molecules in dense clouds of gas and dust. But how do these molecules end up on a planet. Stars and planets are born in dense clouds but during this process the tend to test so highly that none of the vital molecules could survive they are able to live for a very long time on asteroids and comets however. As long as these small celestial bodies keep their distance from high temperatures the molecules are protected. And does make razor a double edged sword. Firstly they create more complex molecules from simple molecules such as water ammonia or Carbon Monoxide. But they can also be destructive since only the surface of a large celestial body is exposed to radiation the complex molecules inside are preserved. Millions of asteroids collide with planets where the environment is reasonably stable many of those asteroids have the Building Blocks of life on board. Meteorites parts of astro. Right sort of landed on earth contain almost one hundred different amino acids. Thats impressive compared to the twenty amino acids that are the Building Blocks of all life. Requires proof of course so a unique Space Mission was launched the European Space agency. Marked a milestone in the research of. Ten year journey to manage to place a probe on a comet. The pro bounced off three times. But we were also lucky bounces created clouds of dust and some of it ended up on one of the probes measuring instruments. That had accidentally been picked up by that instrument revealed sixteen organic molecules some of these are fundamental to the emergence of life. This is a universal phenomenon were not just talking about our own solar system weve discovered more than a thousand extra solar planets and many of them resemble earth. Comets and asteroids contribute to life on our planet. With other planets to. The starting position would be similar so life could be viewed at a cosmic level. Far away from the cosmic rays create molecules that are in. Sensual for mind. But what about the radiation that reaches our planet. And doesnt have a recognizable impact on life. To find out what effect cosmic rays have on our atmosphere we travel to switzerland to meet physicists jasper. The atmosphere is crucial for life on earth it holds the temperature about thirty degrees warmer than if there were no there was no atmosphere at all thats the Greenhouse Gases called dioxide and water it also provides of course the oxygen that we breathe and the Carbon Dioxide that drives photosynthesis together with the sun. Evaporated sea water moves through the atmosphere before it reaches the mainland. This is the bourses cycle. When you look at the earths out the sphere from space from the space station you see this thin blue line on the could of its a humbling experience when you realize how important it is for us to continue on earth and power will tell us its just held down by gravity what if it were to just disappear you know fluff. This tree of our planet has been defined by mass extinctions all these events had a common course the atmosphere losing its ability to sustain life. Dust and gases released by the chemical reactions all the impact of meteorites made the atmosphere hostile to life so its clear that the atmosphere is crucial for a life but theres something. Thats behind the atmosphere thats driving it thats causing all the processes that are important. So the sun drives. Processes in the atmosphere by lightening the suns light comes in falls on the land or falls on the oceans and warms them up so it warms up the land surface and that warms the air above it and circulates the air and transports energy and papers from the earth through out the atmosphere. For years now scientists have been seeing parallels between cellular activity and climate fluctuations on earth. So the sun is. The main driver of the of the processes in the atmosphere but whats interesting and whats not well understood at the moment and theres a very new line of thought is that the distant stars the cousins of our sun are also it looks like responsible for some very important processes in the atmosphere. And this is the researchers area of focus at the European Organization for Nuclear Research was sent in switzerland. Its also home to the famous l h c possible accelerator the cloud experiment is also based here. So here we are in an experimental hole that they thats certain. And if these concrete blocks magnets conducted protons into the Cloud Chamber. Scientists simulate the composition and conditions of different atmospheres and observe how they react to ionizing particles. What you see that silver cylinder is actually the thermal housing the surrounds the cloud the chamber itself is three metre chamber is inside of. Its a very special chamber because its the cleanest chamber in the world and in fact is the only chamber where we can do these experiments. The chamber has to remain absolutely sterile in order to carry out experiments with gas mixtures the slightest impurities could cause problems. Now the importance of the particle beam is there to provide some adjustable source of cosmic rays if you were to do these experiments in the atmosphere you would have no control over the cosmic rays the passing through. When not allowed to enter the chain there because of the sterile conditions. That we are allowed to look at the chain there from below two three from here the gases are fed in to simulate different types of atmospheres. Through. What you see here a lot of false where the gases from the Cloud Chamber into the chamber itself there are a number of different gases here sulfur dioxide ammonia a means by janet very close each of these has been identified as being precursor vapors that may lead to the formation of a very small pox. Its in the atmosphere which can then grow to become the seeds for cloud droplets. But what two protons from the particle accelerator have to do with the gas mixture. How can we use that if a cosmic ray goes through it leaves a trail of our education and those islands help facilitate the formation of the embryonic seeds to help stabilize his little particles and song cosmic rays may have an effect on the formation of embryonic seeds which then grow to become a full size seeds for platypus. Its a phenomenal discovery. If cosmic rays are important for the formation of clouds then there are also important for the development of life on earth. Clouds play a crucial role in the long term evolution of the planets climate. This is a direct connection between cosmic rays and the conditions that can produce life. Investigating that now in cloud we dont have all the arms that weve seen that it does humble to certain circumstances but were by no means ready were not finished. Thats why were doing here experiment we still have many questions to answer and. Its not yet possible to say how vital cosmic radiation is for cloud formation but theres another climate phenomenon thats clearly related to cosmic rays it is perhaps decisive for the development of complex molecules on primitive planets the Precious Energy source for the evolution of the first molecules of life to. This is connected with something called the global electrical circuits. About two hundred kilometers about the earth you see are almost feel cosmic rays float rain through the. This fear and this is a weak current to keep the flow from the i. O. C. Down to ground. And its fuel the amount by cosmic rays. Cosmic rays that cross the atmosphere creates a conductive path for lightning to status. The really Important Role is played in the really important point cosmic rays because without cosmic police would be much less light here to potential cause were a sort of very tightly connected with the globe electricity. Cosmic rays and the lightning flashes produced by them may be responsible for the molecular primordial soup that led to the creation of life on the. Stars of the fortunes that made that weve made of a local star the sun has provided this goldilocks environment that has allowed us to live long also to exist on the earth and theres a lot of life to flourish and people to develop. And weve learned that the stars may not of abundance with just making the right any of continue to look over us through cosmic rays out there in the milky way there is a supernova exploding every fifty years or so this is basing the milky way on our earth with its cosmic rays these constant rays are being affected life as well continuously since the beginning of the earth theyve been affecting the formation of lightning affecting almost certainly the formation of aerosol particle seeds for clouds and also causing a steady mutation of d. N. A. That one. Started. The complexity of life human beings to develop. And that inside brings us to the final stage of our Research Trip and a disturbing connection between cosmic rays and life on earth. This connection provides a link between the most violent phenomena in the universe and the Genetic Information that flows through all our cells. Were here to meet Eduardo Gonzalez pastore a researcher at the astor biological center in madrid. London which. Is not of. Life an earth began about three point eight billion years ago since then the earth has undergone a number of changes that have affected the composition of gases in the atmosphere and the oceans. There are many temperature fluctuations and the natural radiation intensity has also changed its part of this life took hold and spread all over the planet. All forms of life have one thing in common even in the simplest organisms there is a molecule in every cell that enables the transfer of information from one generation to the next to create new life. In that you look at another field of this couple and its used in every cell of this plant contains d. N. A. Molecule its. All of the Genetic Information thats required for the formation of an organism not any more. And if theyre here theyre used to produce a plant. If you want if youre sick. At the copies that are passed on from one. Generation to the next are not identical during the inheritance process eris and changes take place in the molecular structure these socalled mutations. These small scale changes have made possible the great diversity of life as we know it today which makes at least more recently covered. The mechanisms of d. N. A. Replication are not perfect and often lead to errors that i mean its just enough intersex there are also external factors that can modify the d. N. A. Molecules. These include toxic chemicals or radiation from a. Lot of your field. All living beings are exposed to Natural Sources of radiation rocks and minerals contain traces of potassium uranium story and and other radioactive elements from it so far no Scientific Study has been able to demonstrate the possible effects of cosmic rays on evolution. But now scientists have the technology to do that. In a field are complex not in the first of your profit object as being very complex we have to compare the notation rate of many generations on the field first without cosmic rays and then with the normal radiation levels on earth and if you missed it live upon it the color. Course mediocrities been understood moment. To study of cosmic rays is a new and exciting field of research. And one that promises to produce extraordinary insights in the years to come. Plunks intrigue with the click of a month. Every day Internet Users carry out a total of seven billion sentients. If you could turn your query into trade. The new Search Engine is helping support Reforestation Projects in africa. Eco africa thirty minutes closer to the game. Called the germans came together in one nation from shall the money going to chancellor although from bismarck. The history of the germans has been shaped by great rulers. 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