4 ms·

The article kinda lackluster in regards to information. Is there any more information on where this type of particle originated(s) from? It says from space, but

by Moral_ 12y ago

The article kinda lackluster in regards to information. Is there any more information on where this type of particle originated(s) from? It says from space, but supernova, black hole, stars, aliens?

Steuard 12y ago
We have absolutely no idea. Really.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
yaur 12y ago
Better link would be to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-energy_cosmic_ray http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-energy_cosmic_ray which gives some speculation as to what causes them.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
windsurfer 12y ago
Considering it's practically the speed of light, one needs only to figure out the direction the particle was travelling in and point a telescope in the opposite direction. You will be able to see whatever it was that created it within 3 microseconds of the particle's creation. EDIT: calculation error
- logicallee 12y ago
  On the other hand, if it was created in an ephemeral event you have an absolute maximum of 300 nanoseconds to point your telescope at it :) (taking your number on faith)
  - windsurfer 12y ago
    Oops, I did it wrong. I skipped a zero. They state that the particle differs from light by 1 cm every 220,000 years. Considering the age of the universe is about 14 billion years, that works out to 63636 cm. It takes light 2210 nanoseconds to cover that distance. https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=light+over+%2814+billion+%2F220000%29+cm https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=light+over+%2814+billi...
- bcbrown 12y ago
  From the phys.org link in a sibling comment: "It’s difficult to determine their exact source as the magnetic fields of the galaxy and the solar system alter their trajectories so that they end up having a uniform distribution in the sky – as though they come from everywhere."
aaron695 12y ago
This wasn't a bad round up I thought. http://phys.org/news/2011-06-oh-my-god-particles.html http://phys.org/news/2011-06-oh-my-god-particles.html "They propose that extragalactic cosmic rays are spun up in supermassive black hole accretion disks, which are the basis of active galactic nuclei. Furthermore, they estimate that nearly all extragalactic cosmic rays that reach Earth come from Centaurus A. So, no huge mystery – indeed a rich area for further research. Particles from an active supermassive black hole accretion disk in another galaxy are being delivered to our doorstep."
InclinedPlane 12y ago
Nobody knows, it's a big mystery. It's mysterious partly because it shouldn't exist. If you do the math a very high energy proton should have a reasonable upper energy limit. Because protons are charged and at high enough speeds the cosmic microwave background actually slows them down (because it becomes significantly blue shifted). So that means either this particle came from our own galaxy over a short distance or something else is going on that we haven't accounted for. There are candidates for what would give rise to such a particle, but observations are sparse so we haven't had much chance to test any theories.

by Moral_ 12y ago

The article kinda lackluster in regards to information. Is there any more information on where this type of particle originated(s) from? It says from space, but supernova, black hole, stars, aliens?

Steuard 12y ago

We have absolutely no idea. Really.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

yaur 12y ago

Better link would be to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-energy_cosmic_ray http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-energy_cosmic_ray which gives some speculation as to what causes them.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

windsurfer 12y ago

Considering it's practically the speed of light, one needs only to figure out the direction the particle was travelling in and point a telescope in the opposite direction. You will be able to see whatever it was that created it within 3 microseconds of the particle's creation. EDIT: calculation error

logicallee 12y ago
On the other hand, if it was created in an ephemeral event you have an absolute maximum of 300 nanoseconds to point your telescope at it :) (taking your number on faith)
- windsurfer 12y ago
  Oops, I did it wrong. I skipped a zero. They state that the particle differs from light by 1 cm every 220,000 years. Considering the age of the universe is about 14 billion years, that works out to 63636 cm. It takes light 2210 nanoseconds to cover that distance. https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=light+over+%2814+billion+%2F220000%29+cm https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=light+over+%2814+billi...
bcbrown 12y ago
From the phys.org link in a sibling comment: "It’s difficult to determine their exact source as the magnetic fields of the galaxy and the solar system alter their trajectories so that they end up having a uniform distribution in the sky – as though they come from everywhere."

aaron695 12y ago

This wasn't a bad round up I thought. http://phys.org/news/2011-06-oh-my-god-particles.html http://phys.org/news/2011-06-oh-my-god-particles.html "They propose that extragalactic cosmic rays are spun up in supermassive black hole accretion disks, which are the basis of active galactic nuclei. Furthermore, they estimate that nearly all extragalactic cosmic rays that reach Earth come from Centaurus A. So, no huge mystery – indeed a rich area for further research. Particles from an active supermassive black hole accretion disk in another galaxy are being delivered to our doorstep."

InclinedPlane 12y ago

Nobody knows, it's a big mystery. It's mysterious partly because it shouldn't exist. If you do the math a very high energy proton should have a reasonable upper energy limit. Because protons are charged and at high enough speeds the cosmic microwave background actually slows them down (because it becomes significantly blue shifted). So that means either this particle came from our own galaxy over a short distance or something else is going on that we haven't accounted for. There are candidates for what would give rise to such a particle, but observations are sparse so we haven't had much chance to test any theories.