Universe Today explains Black Holes Linked to Cosmic Rays. A big question was what caused ultra high energy cosmic rays, which were sometimes detected with energy above the theoretical limit. These are referred to as the " Oh-My-God particle". The answer is supermassive black holes, those found at the center of galaxies.
"The [Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray] observatory is actually an array of detectors spread out over a 3,000 sq km area. As the cosmic rays collide with the atmosphere, the resulting spray of particles are caught by the detectors, which house large tanks of water. The detectors are so sensitive, they can detect a different in timing, which allow astronomers to triangulate the direction the cosmic ray came from. The particles are flung with such energy that they point back to their galaxies, like bullets coming from a gun."
Update: Today APOD covers it with a pretty picture.
No comments:
Post a Comment