Novel particles or novel properties?

There are several phenomena observed in cosmic rays which are still awaitin g explanation. All of them have one common feature: they need an object whi ch penetrates deep into the atmosphere. Two possibilities arise: either we are dealing with novel particles or known particles have novel properties. We prefer the latter and we suggest that the penetrating objects could be t he fragments of heavy primary nuclei which acquire a high spin and a deform ed shape after the first interaction. Exotic phenomena observed in high ene rgy interactions, such as Centauro, aligned events, multiple photon emissio n and young atmospheric showers etc., can be explained within the framework of this picture.