⚡ Astronomers trace source of hyper-energetic particles: surprise in store

A cosmic coincidence has made it possible to trace an extremely energetic neutrino signal back to its source. Astronomers expected to find a supermassive black hole there, but instead came across a galaxy in full star-formation frenzy, nicknamed "Shadow Blaster."

This discovery transforms our understanding of the origin of neutrinos, those ghostly particles from space.

The neutrino event IC 210922A, detected by the IceCube observatory at the South Pole, was traced to a distant galaxy named JCMT0402-0424. Located about 11 billion light-years from Earth, this galaxy shines brightly in the submillimeter range but is obscured by dust in visible light. Researchers used the ALMA array in Chile to study it in detail.


A fortuitous alignment allowed Shadow Blaster to be observed with exceptional clarity. A galaxy located between Earth and the target acted as a gravitational lens, distorting and amplifying the light. This natural magnifying effect gave astronomers brighter and enlarged images of the distant galaxy, revealing details otherwise inaccessible.

ALMA's data showed no sign of an active black hole. Instead, scientists discovered a dense, compact core, about 1,500 light-years in diameter, where gas and dust are concentrated. Conditions there are so extreme that star formation is particularly intense, and it is this activity that could produce high-energy neutrinos.

This discovery indicates that dusty starburst galaxies may be a major source of cosmic neutrinos. Until now, only supermassive black holes were thought capable of producing them. Researchers estimate that such galaxies could contribute about 20% of the high-energy neutrinos detected in the Universe.