Neutrinos are tiny particles smaller than an atom. They rarely interact with anything else, earning them the nickname ‘ghost particles’ and making them hard to detect. However, spotting them is possible using detectors made up of thousands of highly sensitive ‘cameras’ embedded within large bodies of ice or water.
The Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope, or KM3NeT, has two detectors searching for signals at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, which is where researchers detected a signal from a high energy muon – another type of particle that’s generated by a neutrino.
The muon had an energy of around 120 peta electron volts, they say, suggesting its neutrino had an even higher energy of around 220 PeV. The position and orientation of the muon suggest its neutrino came from space, the scientists say, and they’ve identified 12 active galaxies from which it may have originated. However, none were confirmed as the source, which remains a mystery for now, they conclude.
Future observations will focus on detecting more such events to build a clearer picture of their origins and the astrophysical processes behind them. This breakthrough reinforces Western Sydney University’s role at the forefront of cutting-edge space research and highlights the growing potential of neutrino astronomy.
