What is the difference between cosmic rays and x-rays?

Answer 1

In astrophysics, cosmic rays are radiation consisting of energetic particles originating beyond the Earth that impinge on the Earth's atmosphere. Cosmic rays are composed mainly of bare nuclei, roughly 87% protons, 12% alpha particles (helium nuclei) and most of the rest being made up of heavier atomic nuclei with relative abundances comparable to those found in the Sun. Electrons, gamma rays, and very high-energy neutrinos also make up a much smaller fraction of the cosmic radiation.

The kinetic energies of cosmic ray particles span over fourteen orders of magnitude, with the flux of cosmic rays on the Earth's surface falling approximately as the inverse-cube of the energy. The wide variety of particle energies reflects the wide variety of sources. Cosmic rays originate from energetic processes on the Sun all the way to the farthest reaches of the visible universe. Cosmic rays can have energies up to 1020 eV . There has been interest in investigating cosmic rays of even greater energies.

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometres, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 to 30 000 PHz (1015 hertz). X-rays are primarily used for diagnostic radiography and crystallography. X-rays are a form of ionizing radiation and as such can be dangerous. In many languages it is called Röntgen radiation after the investigator of the radiation, Wilhelm Röntgen.

Answer 2

X-rays are actual photons, while cosmic 'rays' are generally particles, usually helium nuclei-- two protons and two neutrons.

It says quite a bit about the magnetic field of our galaxy, that it can accelerate such heavy particles up to the point where theey can penetrate the ground as well as they do...!

28 OCT 06, 1419 hrs.

Answer 3

The difference is that x-rays are photons of short wavelength. Cosmic rays are energetic subatomic particles such as protons and electrons.

Answer 4

Energy level
cosmic rays have a higher energy level than x-rays.... The also have a shorter wavelenght