Friday, August 7, 2009

Neutrinos from the Moon

From "Neutrinos Production from the Moon," by T.L. Wilson, NASA JSC, "Monte Carlo Neutrino Spectrum, Lunar Regolith," Fig. 2, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XXIX (1998), #1114. Recent observation add weight to the idea that the highest energies and weights of interstellar nucleons, the most energetic of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR's), are still to be detected. Some have speculated that some Moonquakes may have their origin from Trillion Electron Volt (TeV) ionizing particles passing through, or undergoing refraction during encounters with the Moon. Relatively less energetic GCR's produce neutrons that can be detected from Earth, from lunar orbit, or from either the surface or underground on the Moon.

Moon may reveal elusive cosmic neutrinos

Rachel Courtland
New Scientist

See a gallery of the best neutrino detectors in the universe

Hunting for the elusive neutrino typically involves treks to Antarctica, the Mediterranean, and Lake Baikal. But a growing number of projects are looking for the most energetic neutrinos by aiming radio telescopes at the moon.

If the efforts are successful, they might reveal the universe's most powerful particle accelerators or even evidence of exotic new physics.

Read the full article HERE.

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