Unexpectedly, scientists around the world are struggling to understand a puzzling and unprecedented finding: an extraordinarily high-energy particle that fell to Earth. Scientists are baffled by the nature and origin of this particle, calling into question accepted beliefs about cosmic phenomena.
This surprising discovery opens new lines of research for science and raises new questions.
Jump to
- Who made the discovery?
- What has been discovered?
- When and where was the discovery made?
Who made the discovery?
Credit: Kyoto University
When Toshihiro Fujii, an associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan, first discovered the particle, he believed “there must have been a mistake.”
“He showed a level of energy unprecedented in the last three decades,” he said.
What has been discovered?
Astronomers have seen a rare and incredibly high-energy particle descend to Earth. Scientists claim that this cosmic ray, named after the Japanese solar goddess Amaterasu, is among the highest energies ever discovered.
With an energy greater than 240 extra electron volts (EeV), the Amaterasu particle is only the second in history after the Oh-My-God particle, another ultra-high-energy cosmic ray that was discovered in 1991 and had an energy of 320 EEV.
Although the origins of the particle are unknown, experts believe that only the most vital celestial events (more important than the explosion of a star) can produce it.
Credit: CNN
Scientists were left with even more questions when the particle appeared out of nowhere. According to John Matthews, a research professor in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Utah, there was nothing in the region with high enough energy to have caused the event.
It comes from the Local Void, a vacuum that surrounds the Milky Way. Professor Matthews said: “You should be able to point out where they originate in the sky.”
“However, when you follow the trajectory of the OMG particle and this new particle back to its source, nothing with a high enough energy could have created it.
“That’s the mystery of this: what the hell is going on?” Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays typically produce an extensive air shower, or cascade of secondary particles and electromagnetic radiation, when they collide with Earth’s atmosphere.
Specialized instruments can detect electromagnetic radiation produced when some charged particles in the air shower travel faster through the atmosphere than light.
Credit: CNN
The Utah-based Telescope Array observatory, which discovered the Amaterasu particle, is one such instrument. The particle is now expected to open new avenues of research that could help explain the origins of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.
Experts speculate that it could point to an unidentified source in the Local Vacuum, a much larger magnetic deflection than expected, or a lack of understanding of high-energy particle physics.
When and where was the discovery made?
Credit: DailyExpress
It was discovered on Thursday, November 23, 2023 in Utah.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn