Black Holes as Ghost Particle Accelerators ⚡ экспресс
IceCube observations revealed an excess of high-energy neutrinos from nearby Seyfert galaxies (e.g., NGC 1068) in the absence of a corresponding gamma-ray flux, suggesting that neutrinos are born in a region opaque to gamma rays—likely in the hot corona around the supermassive black hole. The mechanism accelerating the parent protons to ~100 TeV energies remained unclear. This work investigates diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in the coronae of active galactic nuclei using one-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations across a wide range of plasma parameters. It is shown that DSA is a robust and efficient mechanism, channeling roughly 10% of the shock wave's kinetic energy into non-thermal ions, even at Mach numbers ~2. The electron acceleration efficiency is variable and below 1%. These results provide rigorous support for hadronic models of neutrino generation in active galactic nuclei and quantitatively explain the observed gamma-ray deficit.
A new study confirms: shock waves in plasma around supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies act like ocean swells, shoving protons to near-light speeds. Even a weak wave passes on a tenth of its energy—like a gentle surf launching a surfer into space. Bouncing off magnetic fields, protons gain a million times the energy of the Large Hadron Collider, and then spawn neutrinos—particles that ghost through planets like they’re nothing.
But why do we spot neutrinos from galaxy NGC 1068, yet no gamma rays? The gamma radiation born in the wave drowns in plasma depths, like sunlight in murky water. The black hole’s corona blocks light, but to neutrinos it’s barely a ripple. The accelerator plays favorites: electrons hardly get a kick, while protons rip loose as the lead racers.
🎯 Cosmic shock waves can accelerate particles to energies a million times beyond the reach of the Large Hadron Collider—the most powerful accelerator on Earth.
🎬 In Stanisław Lem’s novel “His Master’s Voice,” neutrinos are the perfect medium for interstellar communication because they can pass through anything.