Researchers involved in the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory were in for a surprise after the discovery that the cosmic rays bouncing towards Earth do not originate from a supernova.
The observatory, based in Puebla, Mexico, uses huge metallic tanks containing water in the process.
The Contribution of the HAWC Observatory
The common notion in science is that cosmic rays came from supernovas. They are the fast-moving, high-energy protons and atomic nuclei that travel to Earth. The solar system housed them through millions of galaxies in outer space.
It is believed that rays come from stars that form a supernova. The latter takes place when the stars expand to the point where they would explode. This is because they could not hold any more of their cores for support, Independent reported.
Through the detector made by HAWC, researchers were able to experiment with the far-reaching cosmic rays, which travel at the speed of light.
The experts said that the supernova was so huge that it could blow the entire solar system, but that does not mean that its energy can reach us through its high-powered rays.
Moreover, the role of accelerators has been emphasized in the study. The truth is cosmic rays originate from clusters of stars. The new research said that accelerators scattered the particles throughout space containing high energy levels.
The study was published in the Nature Astronomy and Astrophysical Journal Letters, where the scientists mentioned a paradigm shift in the new findings.
Presumably, rays are the remains from the supernova. However, it only bears more complexity in its explanation. There is also no solid proof that says that rays came from the said cosmic body even now.
However, the findings hinted that star clusters could be the responsible entities in the study.
Where Could the Cosmic Rays Come From?
As said, cosmic rays are now believed to have come from star clusters such as the "superbubble" Cygnus Cocoon is surrounded by multiple stars of enormous size.
The researchers stated that those regions that produce stars are prime candidates for the PeV accelerators or PeVatrons. These accelerators dictate the energy levels that should be used to move the particles at a super-fast speed.
"There have been several other hints that star clusters could be part of the story," said Henrike Fleischhack, one of the researchers on the study, in a statement.
Fleischhack added that it is now confirmed that the clusters go to high-energy bodies, as they came from the residues of a supernova. The term "star cradles" could also be used for star clusters. When the debris and winds combine, they will gather in the space. Star clusters literally are groups of stars that are thousands or even millions in numbers that occupy a certain space, including spectral type B and type O, which are colossal objects gathered over a mere 100 light-years away from us.
"Spectral type O stars are the most massive," said Binita Hona, another of the many researchers on the new papers.
Hona ended that shock waves can be created when winds are generated. This instance sparks the acceleration of star clusters.
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Written by Joen Coronel
