Cosmic Rays and the Development of Particle Physics

Abstract

This chapter illustrates the path which led to the discovery that particles of extremely high energy, up to a few joule, come from extraterrestrial sources and collide with Earth’s atmosphere. The history of this discovery started in the beginning of the twentieth century, but many of the techniques then introduced are still in use. A relevant part of the progress happened in recent years and has a large impact on the physics of elementary particles and fundamental interactions.