Astroparticle physics, also called particle astrophysics, is a branch of particle physics that studies elementary particles of astronomical origin and their relation to astrophysics and cosmology. The astroparticles, many times termed as “cosmic rays” are a form of high-energy particle radiation, which originates from the sun, from outside the Solar System or even from distant galaxies as well as cataclysmic events in the Universe. Their energies may reach up to 10 million times the energies achieved by the LHC at CERN and are are detected through dedicated detectors on Earth’s surface, under water (Neutrino Telescopes) or mounted on satellites. While the sources of Cosmic Rays and their production mechanism are one of the greatest mysteries in Astrophysics, Cosmic Rays can be used both as a probe of Particle Physics in energies unreachable by terrestrial particle accelerators as well as means to make a tomography of archaeological, geological and construction sites.
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