Scientists trace high-energy ghost particle to the 'Shadow Blaster' galaxy
Scientists identified a distant star-forming galaxy nicknamed Shadow Blaster as the likely source of a high-energy neutrino. The particle, event IC 210922A, was detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in 2021. This discovery suggests that dust-filled starburst galaxies may be significant producers of cosmic neutrinos.
What changed
Researchers linked a specific 2021 neutrino event to a gravitationally-lensed galaxy 11 billion light-years away.
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Astronomers Trace High-Energy Neutrino to Shadow Blaster Galaxy
confidence 95%Scientists identified a distant star-forming galaxy nicknamed Shadow Blaster as the likely source of a high-energy neutrino. The particle, event IC 210922A, was detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in 2021. This discovery suggests that dust-filled starburst galaxies may be significant producers of cosmic neutrinos.
What's confirmed:
- The galaxy JCMT0402-0424, known as Shadow Blaster, is identified as the source of a high-energy neutrino detected in 2021.
- Shadow Blaster is a gravitationally-lensed, star-forming galaxy located approximately 11 billion light-years away.
- The IceCube Neutrino Observatory detected the specific neutrino event labeled IC 210922A.
- The Gemini North telescope on Maunakea in Hawaii provided evidence for the galaxy's role in neutrino production.
- Neutrinos are particles with no electric charge, very little mass, and few interactions with matter.
Still unconfirmed:
- The discovery may indicate that extreme star formation rather than supermassive black holes produce these neutrinos.
- Hidden starburst galaxies could account for a significant fraction of the universe's high-energy neutrinos.