Abstract:
Cosmic rays draw together many scientific communities. To the traditional cosmic ray physicist, it is the culmination of a century's development of experimental technique. To the astrophysicist, it represents the challenge of finding the nature of the most powerful particle accelerators in the Universe. To the particle physicist, it exhibits collisions with center of mass energies ~100 times those attainable at the LHC and the opportunity to uncover new physics. To the astrobiologist, it is an agent that can influence the evolutionary
pathways of living organisms, drive atmospheric chemistry, and even lead to the sterilization of a planetary surface if the flux is high. In my talk, I will discuss some of these aspects as they are related to my research work. I will discuss the origin of the highest energy particles, and the biological implications of spin-polarized cosmic radiation. I will discuss diversity, equity, inclusion aspects related to conducting this work.