Researchers from the Institute of Space Science (ISS) are invited to hold presentations at the „Space: the Last Frontier” conference, organized by the ASUR Association today, 25 September at 5 p.m. in the Aula Magna room of the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Law (36-46 Mihail Kogălniceanu Blvd.)
During the conference there will be discussed three main areas:
- What are the direct benefits of space exploration? How does it improve everyday life here, on Earth?
- How does the astronomy, astrophysics and space exploration contribute to the progress of human knowledge?
- Who are the people who have ventured into the unknown? What are their stories, their dreams, how is their life?
Dr. Paula Gina Isar (ISS) will hold a presentation about the cosmic rays measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory.
Although we can not see them, the cosmic rays are everywhere and always will be. Primary cosmic rays are subatomic particles (mainly protons) traveling nearly with the speed of light and continuously bombarding the Earth from outer space. So, the universe is full of cosmic particle accelerators such as supernova explosions and black holes. The study of ultra-high energies cosmic rays can provide information about the formation of the universe, because they are samples of material from outside our solar system.
The origin of cosmic particles continue to remain a mystery. These molecules interact with the atmosphere or airborne particles and form cascades of secondary particles. Such an event, however, is estimated to occur once per year per square kilometer to once a century. To see these cosmic ray showers from the ground, we need large areas covered with high-performance detectors like the Pierre Auger Observatory of the Argentine Pampas. Auger is combining observations made using 1660 water tanks, 27 optical telescopes and 160 radio antennas, all these detectors spanning over an area 10 times greater than that of Bucharest.
Together with Dr. Gina Isar, there will hold scientific presentations about their work: Dr. Dumitru Hasegan, Dr. Vlad Popa and Dr. Lucia Popa from the Institute of Space Science, and Dr. David Hilmers, NASA astronaut, veteran of four shuttle space flights, Robert Meisner, spokesman for the ESA Earth Observation Programmes, Andrei Dorobanţu, „Horia Hulubei” Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Ioana Stoica, National College Tudor Vianu.
More information about the event is available here.