Indian Grapes-3 array detects magnetosphere rupture because of solar flare

The Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS 3rd establishment ( Grapes-3) facility in Ooty observes cosmic rays and muons. In a paper published in the scientific journal  Physics, researches working at Grapes-3 detailed an incident that happened in 2015 that could have implications on communication technologies. [caption id=“attachment_346082” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  A Solar Flare. Image: NASA.[/caption] A solar flare sent a cloud of plasma towards the Earth. The coronal mass ejection ruptured the magnetosphere around the Earth. The magnetosphere around the Earth acts as a shield that deflects cosmic rays. The rupture allowed for a two hour long shower of of cosmic rays. This cosmic ray shower took out radio communications in North and South America. [caption id=“attachment_346083” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Grapes-3 Array in Ooty. Image: Grapes-3.[/caption] Grapes-3 researchers observed the cosmic ray shower, as well as simulated the incident to numerically match expectations with the observations, to confirm the series of events. Massive solar flares in the future could rupture the magnetosphere protecting the earth, blocking communications and exposing the planet to a higher amount of radiation. [caption id=“attachment_346093” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Another view of the Grapes-3 arrray in Ooty. Image: Grapes-3.[/caption] Cosmic rays are ambiently showering on the Earth all the time. However, there are cosmic ray bursts as well. At the end of the life cycle of a star, a supernova explosion may occur when the star collapses. These can trigger monster cosmic ray bursts that can easily toast the planet. A previously observed burst of this magnitude narrowly missed the Earth . Some scientists suspect that a pre-historic high magnitude burst scorched the air and wiped out the woolly mammoths 12,800 years ago . [caption id=“attachment_346085” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Muon Detector at the Grapes-3 facility. Image: Grapes-3.[/caption] The Grapes-3 detector is an extensive air shower (EAS) array is the highest density array in the world that is continuously observing cosmic rays. There are about four hundred plastic scintillator detectors with a separation of 8 meters. The Grapes-3 installation is a collaboration of many Indian and Japanese universities, including Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Osaka City University.