Cosmic Proton

Sept. 22, 1988

Dear Ron:

I believe your reasoning about the cosmic proton is correct. The only thing I can see that might alter the situation is particle interconversion. We know the result of combination of two protons in the material sector, and we can be reasonably certain of the result of combination of two cosmic protons in the cosmic sector. But cosmic particles are subject to some different forces in the material sector, and I am not sure just what their effect will be. If the proton and cosmic proton lose their charges, which they may do on, or near, contact, they are essentially equivalent, and probably freely interconvertible. Thus we come down to a question as to the relative reaction speeds. Does the combination take place fast enough to avoid conversion, or do the particles convert to the material status, and then combine as two protons? The latter may be unlikely, but I do not believe we can rule it out on the basis of what we know now.