How Supernovas Behave as the Universe's Greatest Particle Accelerators
Summary
This episode explores the discovery of cosmic rays by Victor Hess and the recent scientific consensus that supernovae act as particle accelerators for most of them. The hosts explain the Fermi acceleration mechanism, detailing how shock waves and magnetic fields in expanding supernova remnants trap and energize charged particles. They also discuss how the Pierre Auger Observatory helps trace these rays to their galactic and extragalactic origins, including active galactic nuclei.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: SAP Concur and Subaru
Intro: Cosmic rays vs LHC and Victor Hess
Discovery of cosmic rays and modern observatories
Energy ranges and the origin mystery
Sound waves vs shock waves
Supernovae and shock waves in space
Enrico Fermi and particle acceleration
Sponsors: SAP Concur and Subaru
Sponsor: Keurig
Magnetic fields in plasmas and explosions
Collisionless shocks in the interstellar medium
Fermi acceleration mechanism details
Gyroradius and scale of supernova accelerators
Sponsors: SAP Concur and Subaru
Sponsor: LinkedIn Hiring Pro
Detecting ultra-high energy cosmic rays
Extragalactic sources: AGN and radio lobes
Conclusion and search for largest accelerators
Merch store update
Sponsors: LinkedIn and McDonald's
Sponsor: Kuvasier Cognac
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