In recent years, cosmic rays have become the protagonists of a new scientific revolution. We are able today to film the Universe with telescopes of completely novel conception, recording information from many different messengers and accessing previously unknown cosmic regions.
Written by a recognized authority in physics, this book takes readers on a captivating journey through the world of cosmic rays, their role in the revolutionary field of multi-messenger astronomy, their production from powerful accelerators close to the surfaces of black holes and compact objects, reaching the highest levels of energy observed in nature, and the implications this has for our understanding of the Universe. Through the stories of pioneering scientists, explorations of cutting-edge technologies, and simple explanations related to particle physics, quantum mechanics, and astrophysics, the book provides an illuminating state-of-the-art introduction to the current state of high-energy astrophysics.The book was written in straightforward yet rigorous language, so as to be accessible to the greater public. For those curious about the cosmos and cosmic gamma rays, nuclei, neutrinos, and gravitational waves, from casual observers to professional astronomers and physicists, the book is a must-read, offering a thrilling adventure into the future of astronomy and particle physics.

Autorentext

Having conceived and implemented with NASA and the Max-Planck Institute in Munich essential experiments for the study of cosmic rays, Alessandro De Angelis is a recognized authority in high-energy astrophysics. Graduated from the University of Padua and later a member of CERN, De Angelis is Professor of Experimental Physics at the Universities of Padua and Lisbon and Scientific Counsellor of the Italian Permanent Delegation to the International Organizations in Paris. Besides numerous scientific articles and textbooks on Astroparticle Physics, he has published three popular books on Galilei and the history of science in the Renaissance.