The neutrino detector built in the Mediterranean Sea has recorded the highest-energy neutrino observed to date. The event carried an energy roughly thirty times greater than the previous record, and the most likely source lies near the edge of our galaxy. The study has been published in a leading scientific journal.
Neutrinos are among the most elusive particles in the universe. They interact only rarely with matter and are often called ghost particles because they can pass through stones and even the human body. They are born in nuclear reactions inside stars, during supernovae, and other extreme cosmic events.
In the underwater detector, a neutrino colliding with water can produce a muon, a heavier cousin of the electron. The muon travels through the detector and emits blue Cherenkov light that is captured by an array of sensors. By analyzing the light patterns and timing, scientists determined that the original neutrino carried an extraordinarily high energy.
A spokesperson from a European research agency said this event marks a notable step in understanding the universe’s most energetic processes.
Detecting such high-energy neutrinos can reshape ideas about cosmic mechanisms. They point to sources or acceleration mechanisms capable of pushing particles to extreme energies, suggesting that these messengers may be found more often than previously believed.
Pinpointing the exact origin of a single neutrino is extremely challenging. It requires more data and insights from other telescopes and detectors across the electromagnetic spectrum. A multi-detector approach is essential to narrow down potential sources.
Deep-sea neutrino observatories are designed to operate in watery environments, in ice, or deep underground to shield detectors from background noise. The Mediterranean facility is part of a broader family of instruments that map the cosmos with neutrinos.
Historically, plans to place neutrino telescopes in the Mediterranean region have circulated for years. The current project in the area continues that effort, building a network capable of observing high-energy neutrinos from across the sky.
Scientists expect this line of observations to expand knowledge about cataclysmic events such as black hole formation, gamma-ray bursts, and active galactic nuclei. As construction continues and data accumulate, researchers anticipate new discoveries that illuminate how the universe channels energy into these ghostly messengers.