May 1, 2024

Not Science Fiction: Earth Hit by Unknown, Extremely High-Energy Particle

Artists illustration of ultra-high-energy cosmic ray astronomy to clarify incredibly energetic phenomena in contrast to a weaker cosmic ray that is affected by electro-magnetic fields. Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University/Kyoto University/Ryuunosuke Takeshige
The Telescope Array Experiment
Chasing after such rays from area, Professor Fujii and a global group of researchers have been carrying out the Telescope Array experiment because 2008. This specialized cosmic ray detector consists of 507 scintillator surface area stations, covering an extensive detection area of 700 square kilometers in Utah, United States. On May 27, 2021, the researchers discovered a particle with a tremendous energy level of 244 EeV.
Unmatched Energy Cosmic Ray
” When I first discovered this ultra-high-energy cosmic ray, I thought there need to have been a mistake, as it revealed an energy level unmatched in the last 3 years,” shared Professor Fujii.
Such an energy level is equivalent to that of the most energetic cosmic ray ever observed, dubbed the “Oh-My-God” particle, which had an approximated energy of 320 EeV when discovered in 1991.
The recorded signal and occasion animation of the incredibly energetic particle, dubbed the “Amaterasu” particle. Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University
Calling the Enigmatic Particle
Of the numerous candidates for the particles name, Professor Fujii and colleagues chosen “Amaterasu,” after the sun goddess that, according to Shinto beliefs, contributed in the creation of Japan.
The Amaterasu particle is maybe as mysterious as the Japanese goddess herself. Where did it originate from? Just what was it? These questions remain. There is hope that the Amaterasu particle will pave the method for brightening the origins of cosmic rays.
The Search for Cosmic Origins Continues
” No promising astronomical item matching the direction from which the cosmic ray got here has actually been determined, suggesting possibilities of unknown astronomical phenomena and novel physical origins beyond the Standard Model,” Professor Fujii mused. “In the future, we dedicate to continue running the Telescope Array experiment, as we embark, through our ongoing upgraded try out fourfold level of sensitivities, called TAx4, and next-generation observatories, on a more in-depth examination into the source of this incredibly energetic particle.”
Referral: “A very energetic cosmic ray observed by a surface area detector range” 23 November 2023, Science.DOI: 10.1126/ science.abo5095.

Chasing after such rays from space, Professor Fujii and a global team of scientists have actually been conducting the Telescope Array experiment considering that 2008. This specific cosmic ray detector consists of 507 scintillator surface stations, covering an expansive detection location of 700 square kilometers in Utah, United States. On May 27, 2021, the researchers detected a particle with a tremendous energy level of 244 EeV.
The Amaterasu particle is perhaps as mystical as the Japanese goddess herself. There is hope that the Amaterasu particle will pave the method for illuminating the origins of cosmic rays.

Astronomers discovered a high-energy cosmic particle named “Amaterasu,” with an unprecedented energy level of 244 EeV, using the Telescope Array experiment in Utah. This rare cosmic ray, comparable to the historical “Oh-My-God” particle, raises questions about its origin and structure.
Unknown incredibly energetic particle from area detected and called after Japanese misconception.
A high-energy particle falls from area to the Earths surface area– it is not clear where it originated from or perhaps what it is, precisely. This might sound like something out of science fiction, but it remains in reality a scientific reality, as evidenced by the research led by Associate Professor Toshihiro Fujii from the Graduate School of Science and Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics at Osaka Metropolitan University.
Artists illustration of the exceptionally energetic cosmic ray observed by a surface detector array of the Telescope Array experiment, called “Amaterasu particle.” Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University/L-INSIGHT, Kyoto University/Ryuunosuke Takeshige
Checking Out Galactic Phenomena
Cosmic rays are energetic charged particles stemming from galactic and extragalactic sources. Cosmic rays with incredibly high energy are extremely unusual; they can reach higher than 1018 electron volts or one exa-electron volt (EeV), which is roughly a million times higher than achieved by the most powerful accelerators ever made by human beings.