Extraterrestrial “ghost particles” likely come from the core of a galaxy fed by a supermassive black hole, according to a new study that could unlock the mystery of these pre-universe subatomic particles.
Ghost particles, or neutrinos, have baffled scientists since they were first discovered in 1956 because they have no mass and barely interact with matter.
These tiny, uncharged particles racing through the universe almost unaffected by objects or natural forces, but they are the second most common particle on Earth after photons.
The galactic core, known as a blazar, is a galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center and positioned with its beam directed straight at Earth.
A research team led by the University of Würzburg has identified the source of the ghost particle by cross-referencing data on the particle trajectory and the University of Würzburg’s position in the universe.
They found that 10 of the 19 neutrino hotspots were blazars.
The task of unraveling the mystery of ghost particles is very important because it will provide a better understanding of how matter evolved from simple particles to complex particles that create everything around us.
Scroll down for the video
–
Artist’s impression of an active galactic core where ghost-like subatomic particles may have originated
–
At the center of most galaxies, including our own, is a supermassive black hole that creates a disk of gas, dust, and stellar debris around it.
When matter in the disk falls toward the black hole, its gravitational energy can be converted into light, making the centers of these galaxies very bright and causing them to be called active galactic nuclei (AGN).
When a galaxy collapses in such a way that its beam is directed towards Earth, it is called a blazar and this is an ongoing theory of what produces ghost particles.
This conclusion was made by researchers who collected data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica, the most sensitive neutrino detector on Earth, in 2008 and 2015.
The study determined that the ghost particles came from the Blazar by collecting particle data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica (pictured)
–
This is then compared to BZCat, a catalog of more than 3,500 items that are most likely blazers.
The results showed that 10 of the 19 IceCube hotspots found in the southern sky may have originated from a blazar.
Dr Andrea Tramassery, a researcher in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Geneva, said in a statement: The discovery of the high-energy neutrino factory was a milestone in astrophysics.
“This puts us one step further in solving the century-old mystery of the origin of cosmic rays.”
Scientists have been trying to study the elusive particle since Wolfgang Pauli first predicted it in 1931.
Many believe that they may hold the key to understanding parts of the universe that remain hidden from our view, such as dark matter and dark energy.
High-energy neutrinos were first detected on September 22, 2017 by the IceCube Observatory, a massive facility that sank a mile below the South Pole.
Here, a network of more than 5,000 ultra-sensitive sensors captures the characteristic “Cherenkov” blue light emitted by the interaction of neutrinos with ice.
Neutrinos are believed to have been created by high-energy cosmic rays from jets interacting with nearby matter.
Professor Paul O’Brien, a member of the international team of astronomers from the University of Leicester, said: “Neutrinos rarely interact with matter.
Finding them entirely from the universe is astonishing, but identifying a possible source is a win.
These results will allow us to study the most powerful and farthest energy sources in the universe in completely new ways.
–
Share or comment on this article:
–
