Happily CLOUDy

clipped from cdsweb.cern.ch Many experiments in the world are currently investigating the factors that may affect the planet’s climate but CLOUD is the only one that makes use of a particle accelerator. “The proton beam that the PS provides is unique because it allows us to adjust the “cosmic ray” intensity. In this way, we can simulate the difference of particle flux in the atmosphere in going from the ground to the outermost layers of the stratosphere (a factor 100 more intense)”, explains Jasper Kirkby, CLOUD’s spokesperson. “There are a lot of observations suggesting that particles hitting the atmosphere might affect the production of clouds and, in turn, the planet’s climate”, continues Kirkby. “However, given the complexity of the climate and the many parameters involved, a clear answer doesn’t exist yet”. The CLOUD detector is optimized for addressing this question like no other experiment so far. “For the first time, we want to do definitive, quantitative measurements of the underlying microphysics”