Cosmic ray effects on aerosol and climate
This is an EU Marie Curie Training Network project due to start in 2008. It is a collaboration with 9 other European institutes to understand the processes controlling the generation of aerosol from ions in the atmosphere. There is plenty of observational evidence that ions, produced primarily by cosmic rays, can create new particles in the atmosphere. The project combines field observations, lab studies, state-of-the-art experiments at the CERN facility in Geneva with modelling to quantify these processes.
For an interesting review of the science of cosmic rays and climate, see:
Carslaw, K.S.; Harrison R.G.; Kirkby J. (2002) Cosmic rays, clouds and climate, Science, 298, pp.1732–1737. doi:10.1126/science.1076964