In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have detected the highest-energy cosmic "ghost particle" ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. This elusive particle, known as a neutrino, is 30 times more energetic than any previously detected neutrino.
Neutrinos are often referred to as "ghost particles" due to their ability to pass through almost any kind of matter without changing. These tiny, high-energy particles travel through the most extreme environments, including stars, planets, and entire galaxies, yet their structure remains intact.
The record-breaking neutrino, named KM3-230213A, was detected by the KM3NeT Collaboration, a network of sensors still under construction at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The neutrino had an astonishing energy of 220 million billion electron volts, making it around 30,000 times more powerful than what the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator at CERN can achieve.
The discovery provides some of the first evidence that such highly energetic neutrinos can be created in the universe. Scientists believe the neutrino originated from beyond the Milky Way galaxy, although its exact source remains a mystery. Possible sources include extreme environments such as supermassive black holes, gamma-ray bursts, or supernova remnants.
This detection opens up a new chapter in neutrino astronomy and offers a new observational window into the universe. The KM3NeT Collaboration's spokesperson, Paschal Coyle, stated, "KM3NeT has begun to probe a range of energy and sensitivity where detected neutrinos may originate from extreme astrophysical phenomena."
The discovery of this energetic neutrino is a significant step forward in our understanding of the universe's most energetic processes and highlights the importance of continued exploration and research in this field.
Stay tuned for more updates as scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of these ghostly particles and their origins.
