Scientists in Utah have identified rare cosmic rays that may have come from beyond the Milky Way.
It was named “Amaterasu Particle” after the Japanese goddess of the sun.
A spokesperson for Telescope Array called the source of the particles a “mystery.”
Space scientists from the University of Utah and the University of Tokyo have identified a very important phenomenon. Rare ultra-high energy cosmic rays It is thought to have originated from beyond the Milky Way galaxy.
It was named “Amaterasu Particle” after the Japanese goddess of the sun. The substance of elementary particles that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
The results of the study, published in the journal Science, show that the energy is comparable to record-setting. Oh my God particle observed in 1991.
“In the case of the Oh My God particle and this new particle, even if we trace their trajectories back to their source, we will not be able to generate There is nothing so high in energy as that.” That’s the mystery – what’s going on? ”
cosmic rays, Charged particles constantly rain down on the earth, usually originating from the sun. However, high-energy cosmic rays like the Amaterasu particle are an exception and are thought to come from other galaxies or extragalactic sources..
The observatory Telescope Array in Utah’s Western Desert identified the particle. The space station, comprised of 507 surface detectors spanning 270 square miles, observed more than 30 ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, with the Amaterasu particle standing out as the most significant event.
The Amaterasu particle hit the atmosphere on May 27, 2021, activating 23 surface detectors and emitting energy equal to about 244 exaelectron volts. This is just short of the 320 exaelectronvolts of the “Oh my God” particle.
The observed particles, including the Amaterasu particles, appear to emerge from a cavity or empty space.
Unlike low-energy cosmic rays, whose origins can be traced, these ultra-high-energy particles seemingly originate from empty space. Amaterasu particles are thought to originate from the Local Void, a region of the cosmic sky adjacent to the Milky Way.
The expansion of the Telescope Array offers hope for further answers to this phenomenon. Equipped with an additional 500 detectors and covering an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, the observatory aims to capture particle showers caused by cosmic rays and provide further insight into other cosmic mysteries. That’s what I’m aiming for.
Read original article business insider