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Scientists in Utah have identified a rare cosmic ray believed to have come from beyond the Milky Way.
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It was named the “Amaterasu particle” after the Japanese sun goddess.
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A spokesman for the telescope array called the source of the particles a “mystery.”
Space scientists from the University of Utah and the University of Tokyo have identified more A rare, ultra-high-energy cosmic ray The Milky Way is believed to have traveled from beyond the galaxy.
Named the “Amaterasu particle” after the Japanese sun goddess, A A subatomic organelle is invisible to the naked eye.
The findings, published in the journal Science, reveal the achievement of its energy rivals The “oh-my-god” particle was observed in 1991.
John Matthews, co-spokesperson for the telescope array and co-author of the study, said: “In the case of the oh-my-god particle and this new particle, you trace its path back to its source and there’s not enough energy to create it. That’s the mystery of it – what’s going on?”
Cosmic rays, charged particles, continue to shower the Earth, usually formed from the Sun. However, high-energy cosmic rays such as the Amaterasu particle are exceptional and are thought to come from other galaxies and extraterrestrial sources.
The recently discovered particle was identified by a telescope array in Utah’s western desert. The space observatory, which includes 507 surface detectors over 270 square miles, observed more than 30 ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, with the Amaterasu particle standing out as the most notable event.
Hitting the atmosphere on May 27, 2021, it triggered 23 surface detectors, with energy calculations of about 244 exa-electron volts, just shy of 320 exa-electron volts for the “Oh-My-God” particle.
Observed particles, including the amethyst particle, emerge from voids or empty space.
Unlike low-energy cosmic rays, whose origin is detectable, such ultra-high-energy particles appear to come from seemingly empty space. The Amaterasu particle is believed to originate from the local vacuum, the empty region at the boundary of the Milky Way galaxy.
Expansion of the telescope array offers hope for more answers to this rare phenomenon. An additional 500 detectors cover an extensive area the size of Rhode Island, aiming to capture cosmic ray-induced particle showers and provide further insights into cosmic mysteries.
Read the original article Business Insider
