Hello everyone! Let me begin with that I am not a student in physics, this is just of general interest.

Everytime when I read about cosmic rays and transmutation, the only examples coming up are changes in the Earth's atmosphere. Look at this for example

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray#Changes_in_atmospheric_chemistry

 

My questions are:

-Are there any limits on which atoms cosmic rays can transmutate?

-Is the earths magnetic field limiting the reaction products of cosmic rays?

-How about in space, are there any limitations there?

Hello everyone! Let me begin with that I am not a student in physics, this is just of general interest.

Everytime when I read about cosmic rays and transmutation, the only examples coming up are changes in the Earth's atmosphere. Look at this for example

http://en.wikipedia....heric_chemistry

 

My questions are:

-Are there any limits on which atoms cosmic rays can transmutate?

-Is the earths magnetic field limiting the reaction products of cosmic rays?

-How about in space, are there any limitations there?

 

1) There are no limits as such. It is a question of which nuclear reactions are possible.

2) The magnetic field affects the direction of incoming rays (which are mostly high energy protons), but not the reactions themselves.

3) In space there are no particular limitations - see 1).

1) There are no limits as such. It is a question of which nuclear reactions are possible.

2) The magnetic field affects the direction of incoming rays (which are mostly high energy protons), but not the reactions themselves.

3) In space there are no particular limitations - see 1).

Thank you for a very concise post! When you say "it is a question of which nuclear reactions are possible" you mean if the energy of the cosmic ray is high enough and/or which particles is needed for one specific reaction, right?

Thank you for a very concise post! When you say "it is a question of which nuclear reactions are possible" you mean if the energy of the cosmic ray is high enough and/or which particles is needed for one specific reaction, right?

Yes (I think - I am not quite sure what you have in mind for your question). What I meant is p + nuclide -> products, depending on whether or not the physics is there.