Astronomers have discovered a high-energy neutrino, which some have termed a “ghost particle,” through an undersea telescope, the Cubic Kilometer Neutrino Telescope, or KM3NeT. The discovery, made ahead of schedule for the telescope’s construction, advances our understanding of the universe and ghostly objects traversing through it.
A mind-blowing cosmic Event: How Scientists detected this Ghostly particle
On the shores of Sicily, on February 13, 2023, on 20 per cent built but incomplete Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss array of KM3NeT, there appeared an unexpected sign. Despite being 20 per cent built, the variety recorded muon passing through detectors in microseconds. From their data, 120 peta-electron volt (PeV) of energy in the muon meant, thus, source neutrino to have energies of 220 PeV—30 times larger than any ever recorded.
This extraordinary phenomenon was discovered in the premier scientific journal Nature, which brought attention to it. The discovery is made possible by the unique configuration of the KM3NeT, two detector arrays in the bed of the Mediterranean. The ARCA array, for instance, is designed to recognize high-energy neutrinos produced by extraterrestrial sources ( another source of high energy).
Why neutrinos are called “ghost particles” and why they matter
Neutrinos are probably the world’s most mysterious particles. Neutrinos have no electric charges, weigh virtually nothing, and only feebly interact with matter. Therefore, their discovery is virtually inconceivable. If 10 trillion Sun-bred neutrinos enter our world, only one is supposed to interact with an atom and produce an observable response, estimates by scientists suggest. The ghostliness of neutrinos is responsible for their nickname.
Paschal Coyle, Center for Scientific Research scientist in residence and official representative for KM3NeT, spoke on behalf of the function of neutrinos in our world. “Neutrinos are as close to nothing as is possible to imagine,” Coyle made clear in press statements. “But they contain the key to fully seeing how the universe operates.”
Two aspects of this muon, and by extension their parent neutrino, make them of special interest. The first is their energies, which signify extraterrestrial sources. The second is in what direction because of where in sight but below the horizon, there are probably good prospects for the neutrino to have interacted with an atom in nearby deep water.
Could this particle come from a dying star? The possible sources
In an official press statement, Rosa Coniglione of KM3NeT explained why such discovery is vital. “Neutrinos are amongst the most mysterious of basic particles. No electric charge, effectively no weight, and only weak interactions on matter. Special space messengers, telling special stories on mechanisms behind most violent events and allowing us to access space’s deepest corners.”
While the neutrino’s source is unknown, there is an argument to propose that it emanates from a cataclysmic source such as a gamma-ray burst, an accreting massive black hole, or a supernova. The last source possible is ultrarelativistic cosmic rays interacting with protons in the cosmic microwave background to produce what is otherwise a “cosmogenic neutrino.”
These potential candidates are some of the most powerful objects in the universe and can accelerate ultra-high-energy particles. The discovery of an ultra-high-energy neutrino offers special insights into such events in space and their generation mechanisms.
What’s next? The future of neutrino research looks promising.
The KM3NeT is in its infancy. The discovery happened while only running on a small fraction of the designed capability. As time passes and we continue to have ever-larger numbers of detection lines running, scientists expect that this article is only the beginning of several such breakthroughs. The DUNE, running for several years, is also poised to join the enterprise.
The completion of the KM3NeT instrumented to 230 detector lines will allow for greater sensitivity and observing capability. Such sensitivity and capability are made possible by observing more of the most powerful events in the universe and understanding them better.
Detecting an ultra-high-energy neutrino by the KM3NeT is crucial in particle physics and our understanding of space. Besides undersea neutrino telescope capabilities ( more on telescope), the discovery is evidence and shows us new ways to validate extreme events in space. As mysteries surrounding neutrinos peel by scientists, future discovery breakthroughs lie ahead, and light is to shine on the hidden universe.
