Scientists have recently detected a powerful cosmic ray that has left them puzzled about its origin, potentially requiring new physics to explain it. The cosmic ray had an estimated energy of 240 exa-electronvolts (EeV), comparable to the most powerful cosmic ray ever detected in 1991. Cosmic rays are high-energy subatomic particles that travel through space, and their ultrahigh-energy form can exceed the energy levels produced by human-made particle accelerators. The researchers nicknamed this particle ‘Amaterasu’, after a Japanese Sun goddess. The origin of the ray remains unknown, with suggestions that current models of magnetic fields or unknown physical processes may need to be revised. Scientists are upgrading the detectors to capture more of these rare cosmic rays and trace their origins more precisely.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03677-0