The most powerful cosmic ray since the Oh-My-God particle puzzles scientists

Scientists spot a particle of intense energy, but explaining where it came from might require some new physics.
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  1. Gemma Conroy
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Scientists have detected the most powerful cosmic ray seen in more than three decades. But the exact origin of this turbocharged particle from outer space remains a mystery, with some suggesting that it could have been generated by unknown physics.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03677-0

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 24 November 2023: An earlier version of this article defined the exa-electronvolt incorrectly. It is 1018 electronvolts.

References

  1. Telescope Array Collaboration. Science https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo5095 (2023).

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