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New observations prove that supernova remnants can accelerate protons to energies hundreds of times higher than those of Earth's accelerators.
Abstract
Supernova remnants (gas clouds after a star explosion) were long thought to be the main accelerators of cosmic rays, but direct evidence of acceleration to near-PeV energies was lacking. The LHAASO telescope studied gamma-ray emission from the remnant IC 443 and identified two sources. The spectrum of one extends beyond 30 TeV with no sign of a cutoff, indicating protons with energies around 300 TeV. It's like a sound wave bouncing back and forth, gradually pushing a particle to incredible speeds. This confirms that shock waves from stellar explosions are nature's super-accelerator.
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When a massive star explodes, its matter spreads across light-years, forming a supernova remnant — a giant cloud of superheated gas. One such object, IC 443, has long been suspected of churning out particles with colossal energies. But evidence was lacking.
New data from the LHAASO observatory, which captures the most intense cosmic radiation, showed that IC 443 contains a compact source whose radiation reveals the presence of protons with energies hundreds of times greater than those achievable by Earth's accelerators. Nearby, a pulsar may be at work — a super-dense neutron star spinning rapidly and emitting powerful radiation.
The Fermi telescope previously noticed radiation here characteristic of head-on collisions between protons and interstellar gas — a telltale sign of an active particle factory.
This discovery proves: supernova remnants are the main suppliers of cosmic rays, the particles bombarding Earth. The acceleration in IC 443 shows no signs of slowing down, as if the factory has been running non-stop for thousands of years.
🎯 Protons accelerated to such speeds cross our Galaxy in just a few thousand years — instead of the millions it would take an ordinary particle.
