Yet another thing they're trying to take away from The Man Upstairs. Why do you think it's called "the heavens," people? Puh-leeeeze. Anyway, scientists think they've found the origins of the super-high energy, ultra-awesome cosmic rays that are millions of times more powerful than the strongest particles created in particle accelerators on earth.
Researchers at the Pierre Auger Observatory, a complex of detectors spread over a Rhode Island-sized slice of the South American prairie, said the most likely source for these ultra-high-energy particles is a type of black hole found at the center of some galaxies.
These violent phenomena are called active galactic nuclei because they both gobble up energy from the surrounding space and spit some out with tremendous force.
"This is a fundamental discovery. We have taken a big step forward in solving the mystery of the nature and origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays," said Nobel laureate James Cronin, a professor emeritus at the University of Chicago and coauthor of the paper published in the current issue of the journal Science.
The discovery was made at the Pierre Auger Observatory, a massive complex located in the pampa of South America.
Tracking the source of the particles has been difficult, in part because of their rarity. Each century, only one of the highest-energy particles -- sometimes called Oh-My-God particles -- strikes the atmosphere over any particular spot on Earth.
To research them, "You either need very long-lived scientists or an instrument covering a very large area," said Henry Glass, a Fermilab particle physicist and a coauthor of the paper.
A second site capable of detecting Oh-My-God particles is going to be built in Colorado, right on my doorstep. I'm going to apply for an internship, and if I'm lucky enough to be around when these intense particles are found again, I'm sure this'll be my reaction.
Scientists trace cosmic rays to black holes (LA Times, subscription required)
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