Edward Purdy Ney was an American physicist who made major contributions to cosmic ray research, atmospheric physics, heliophysics, and infrared astronomy. He was a discoverer of cosmic ray heavy nuclei and of solar proton events. He pioneered the use of high-altitude balloons for scientific investigations and helped to develop procedures and equipment that underlie modern scientific ballooning. He was one of the first researchers to put experiments aboard spacecraft.
Photo provided by Frank B. McDonald
At center right, a primary cosmic ray heavy nucleus goes vertically through a cloud chamber, which was suspended under a balloon near the top of the atmosphere. At left, a Helium nucleus enters through the side of the chamber. Thin tracks are singly charged particles moving at nearly the speed of light. Note that this is a negative image, in which white droplets appear black, and that the horizontal bars are electrodes that do not introduce any material into the chamber.
Figure 1. From a patent: Tension Component Measuring Means US Patent and Trademark Office
Airglow and lightning over Australia; Photographed from Faith 7 by Gordon Cooper
Cosmic rays or astroparticles are high-energy particles or clusters of particles that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own galaxy, and from distant galaxies. Upon impact with Earth's atmosphere, cosmic rays produce showers of secondary particles, some of which reach the surface, although the bulk are deflected off into space by the magnetosphere or the heliosphere.
Pacini makes a measurement in 1910.
Increase of ionization with altitude as measured by Hess in 1912 (left) and by Kolhörster (right)
Hess lands after his balloon flight in 1912.
Sources of ionizing radiation in interplanetary space.
