Scientists detect highest-energy ghost particle ever seen — where did it come from?

Discovery of the highest-energy neutrino could expand multi-messenger astronomy, traces point to blazars or cosmogenic origins.

: Scientists have detected the highest-energy neutrino ever recorded, arriving with 30 times the energy of any previously observed neutrino. Detected by the Kilometer Cubic Neutrino Telescope under the Mediterranean Sea, this neutrino potentially originates from a blazar or a cosmic ray/cosmic microwave background collision. Researchers identified 12 potential blazar sources beyond the Milky Way, and its detection marks the first suggestion of a cosmogenic neutrino. Ongoing data collection by the telescope could soon clarify its origins, enhancing multi-messenger astronomy.

Scientists have identified a neutrino with the highest energy ever detected, arriving at Earth at nearly the speed of light. This neutrino's energy is approximately 30 times that of any previously observed, putting it in an unexplored energy range.

The neutrino was discovered by the Kilometer Cubic Neutrino Telescope, located deep beneath the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists suspect its origins lie outside the Milky Way, pointing toward energetic events such as blazars—active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes—or a collision between cosmic rays and light particles left over after the Big Bang.

Researchers have narrowed down 12 blazars as potential sources, all located beyond the boundaries of our galaxy. The detection could also signify the first observation of a cosmogenic neutrino. Ongoing improvements in data collection and resolution at the Kilometer Cubic Neutrino Telescope may soon provide more definitive insights into the neutrino's origin.

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