- Powerful cosmic ray detected
- Named Amaterasu, myth influence
- Origin mystery, Local Void
According to astronomers, a mysterious region of deep space transmitted one of the most potent cosmic rays ever detected toward Earth.
The cosmic event possessed 240 quintillion electron volts of energy, equivalent to 240 billion billion (with 18 zeros inserted).
A typical lightning discharge, in comparison, consists of approximately 300 million volts.
Amaterasu: A Mythical Ray
Amaterasu, a cosmic ray named after the Japanese sun deity in mythology, was detected in May 2021 by a telescope system in Utah, according to scientists who declared it “unprecedented” in the annals of modern science.
Among the most potent cosmic rays ever detected, Amaterasu might have emerged from an invisible corridor or “void… within the universe.”
Cosmic rays are collections of minuscule, high-energy particles that travel at an approach to the speed of light through space.
These phenomena are often identified by instruments located on Earth and are frequently attributed to solar flares or explosions.
However, scientists believe Amaterasu could have only emerged from the tremendous celestial phenomena – something on par with a stellar detonation.
“Unlock your financial potential with free Webull shares in the UK.”
The phenomenon was observed by Professor Toshihiro Fujii of Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan and documented by the Telescope Array experiment in Utah.
“When I first discovered this ultra-high-energy cosmic ray, I thought I had made a mistake,” he explained. “It possessed an energy level that had not been seen in the previous thirty years.”
Prospective astronomical objects corresponding to the direction from which the cosmic ray originated must be identified.
This raises the possibility that unidentified astronomical phenomena or novel physical origins go beyond the Standard Model.
According to John Matthews, a research professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah in the United States, phenomena commonly perceived as energetic, such as supernovae, lack the necessary energy to support this.
To confine the particle during acceleration, one needs extremely high magnetic fields and enormous energy.
The Amaterasu particle, with an energy of 240 quintillion electron volts (EeV), is second only to the Oh-My-God particle, an additional ultra-high-energy cosmic ray discovered in 1991 and possessing 320 EeV energy.
An extensive air shower occurs when ultra-high-energy cosmic rays strike the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a chain reaction of secondary particles and electromagnetic radiation.
Certain charged particles in the air shower surpass the speed of light, generating a form of electromagnetic radiation that is amenable to detection through specialized instruments.
One such instrument, the Telescope Array observatory in Utah, United States, discovered the Amaterasu particle.
Challenges in Understanding
The source of this enigmatic occurrence is the Local Void, an emptiness that encircles the Milky Way galaxy.
According to the experts, this may indicate a significantly greater magnetic deflection than anticipated, an unidentified source in the Local Void, or an inadequate understanding of high-energy particle physics.
Professor Matthews stated, “Galactic and extragalactic magnetic fields should have no effect on the particles, given their extremely high energy.”
“You should be capable of indicating their celestial origin.”
However, the Oh-My-God particle and this novel particle’s trajectory can be traced back to its origin. Nothing with sufficient energy could have generated it.
“That is the essence of the mystery; what on earth is happening?”
They anticipate that the Amaterasu particle will pave the way for additional research that may cast light on the origin of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays.
Professor John Belz of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah remarked. “These events appear to be emanating from entirely different locations in the sky.”
It is not as if a single enigmatic source exists.
Defects in the structure of spacetime or colliding cosmic strings could be the cause.
I’m simply speculating on the irrational notions individuals generate due to the absence of a conventional explanation.
The Telescope Array is a terrestrial observatory across approximately 700 square kilometers of Utah desert.
Detecting even one UHECR, which detonates at around one per century per square kilometer, requires a large device.
