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 由 AI 报道

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.