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Penn State Finds Ultraheavy Nuclei Reach Earth with Extreme Energy

Quantum ZeitgeistSeptember 14, 20264 min read

Some of the highest-energy cosmic rays may consist of atomic nuclei heavier than iron, according to research published on May 7 in Physical Review Letters. These ultraheavy nuclei can lose energy more slowly than protons or lighter nuclei, potentially allowing them to reach Earth at extreme energies, such as the “Amaterasu particle” detected in 2021 and the “Oh-My-God particle” detected in 1991.

Penn State scientists are proposing an unexpected component for the most energetic particles in the universe: atomic nuclei heavier than iron. Their work, published in Physical Review Letters, addresses the mystery surrounding ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays like the Amaterasu particle detected in 2021, an event comparable in energy to the Oh-My-God particle detected in 1991 but with an uncertain origin. The team’s calculations demonstrate that these ultraheavy nuclei lose energy more slowly during intergalactic travel, potentially…

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