Cosmic Rays

New research suggests the Amaterasu particle, one of the most energetic cosmic rays detected, could be an ultraheavy atomic nucleus rather than a proton. The findings, from scientists at Penn State, were published in Physical Review Letters. They indicate such nuclei could retain extreme energy over vast distances in space.

May 14, 2026 Iniulat ng AI

Researchers using the DAMPE space telescope have identified a shared spectral softening in cosmic rays across multiple particle types. The pattern appears at a rigidity of about 15 teraelectron-volts for protons through iron nuclei. This finding, published in Nature, offers new insight into how these high-energy particles behave in the galaxy.