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An bizarre match in line with a neutrino with an estimated calories of about 220 PeV (220 x 1015 electron volts or 220 million billion electron volts), was once detected on February 13, 2023, through the ARCA detector of the kilometer cubic neutrino telescope (KM3NeT) within the deep sea.
This match, named KM3-230213A, is probably the most vigorous neutrino ever seen and gives the primary proof that neutrinos of such excessive energies are produced within the universe. After lengthy and meticulous paintings to investigate and interpret the experimental knowledge, the world medical collaboration of KM3NeT stories the main points of this discovery in a piece of writing in Nature.
The detected match was once recognized as a unmarried muon which crossed all of the detector, inducing indicators in multiple 3rd of the energetic sensors. The inclination of its trajectory blended with its huge calories supplies compelling proof that the muon originated from a cosmic neutrino interacting within the neighborhood of the detector.
“KM3NeT has begun to probe a variety of calories and sensitivity the place detected neutrinos would possibly originate from excessive astrophysical phenomena. This primary ever detection of a neutrino of masses of PeV opens a brand new bankruptcy in neutrino astronomy and a brand new observational window at the universe,” feedback Paschal Coyle, KM3NeT Spokesperson on the time of the detection, and researcher at CNRS Middle Nationwide de los angeles Recherche Scientifique—Middle de Body des Particules de Marseille, France.
The high-energy universe is the area of cataclysmic occasions reminiscent of accreting supermassive black holes on the middle of galaxies, supernova explosions, gamma-ray bursts, all, as but, no longer absolutely understood. Those tough cosmic accelerators generate streams of debris known as cosmic rays.
Some cosmic rays would possibly engage with subject or photons across the supply, to provide neutrinos and photons. All through the adventure of probably the most vigorous cosmic rays around the universe, some might also engage with photons of the cosmic microwave background radiation, to provide extraordinarily vigorous “cosmogenic” neutrinos.
“Neutrinos are one of the crucial mysterious of fundamental debris. They’ve no electrical price, nearly no mass and engage most effective weakly with subject. They’re particular cosmic messengers, bringing us distinctive knowledge at the mechanisms curious about probably the most vigorous phenomena and permitting us to discover the farthest reaches of the universe,” explains Rosa Coniglione, KM3NeT Deputy-Spokesperson on the time of the detection, researcher on the INFN Nationwide Institute for Nuclear Physics, Italy.
Even though neutrinos are the second one maximum plentiful particle within the universe after photons, their vulnerable interplay with subject makes them very arduous to hit upon and calls for huge detectors.
The KM3NeT neutrino telescope, these days below building, is a huge deep-sea infrastructure dispensed throughout two detectors, ARCA and ORCA. In its ultimate configuration, KM3NeT will occupy a quantity of multiple cubic kilometer.
KM3NeT makes use of sea water because the interplay medium for neutrinos. Its high-tech optical modules hit upon the Cherenkov mild, a bluish glow this is generated right through the propagation during the water of the ultra-relativistic debris produced in neutrino interactions.
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“To resolve the course and effort of this neutrino required an actual calibration of the telescope and complicated observe reconstruction algorithms. Moreover, this exceptional detection was once completed with just one 10th of the overall configuration of the detector, demonstrating the nice possible of our experiment for the find out about of neutrinos and for neutrino astronomy,” feedback Aart Heijboer, KM3NeT Physics and Tool Supervisor on the time of the detection, and researcher at Nikhef Nationwide Institute for Subatomic Physics, The Netherlands.
The KM3NeT/ARCA (Astroparticle Analysis with Cosmics within the Abyss) detector is basically devoted to the find out about of the absolute best calories neutrinos and their assets within the universe.
It’s positioned at 3,450 m intensity, about 80 km from the coast of Portopalo di Capo Passero, Sicily. Its 700 m excessive detection gadgets (DUs) are anchored to the seabed and located about 100 m aside.
Each and every DU is provided with 18 Virtual Optical Modules (DOM) every containing 31 photomultipliers (PMTs). In its ultimate configuration, ARCA will include 230 DUs. The information accumulated are transmitted by way of a submarine cable to the shore station on the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud.
The KM3NeT/ORCA (Oscillation Analysis with Cosmics within the Abyss) detector is optimized to review the elemental houses of the neutrino itself. It’s positioned at a intensity of two,450 m, about 40 km from the coast of Toulon, France. It is going to include 115 DUs, every 200 m excessive and spaced through 20 m. The information accumulated through ORCA are despatched to the shore station at Los angeles Seyne Sur Mer.
“The size of KM3NeT, in the end encompassing a quantity of about one cubic kilometer with a complete of about 200 000 photomultipliers, together with its excessive location within the abyss of the Mediterranean Sea, demonstrates the bizarre efforts required to advance neutrino astronomy and particle physics,” feedback Miles Lindsey Clark, KM3NeT Technical Mission Supervisor on the time of the detection, and analysis engineer on the CNRS—Astroparticle and Cosmology laboratory, France.
“The detection of this match is the results of an incredible collaborative effort between many world groups of engineers, technicians and scientists.”
This ultra-high calories neutrino would possibly originate at once from an impressive cosmic accelerator. Then again, it may well be the primary detection of a cosmogenic neutrino. Then again, in line with this unmarried neutrino it’s tough to conclude its starting place.
Long term observations will focal point on detecting extra such occasions to construct a clearer image. The continued enlargement of KM3NeT with further detection gadgets and the purchase of extra knowledge will make stronger its sensitivity and toughen its skill to pinpoint cosmic neutrino assets, making it a number one contributor to multi-messenger astronomy.
The KM3NeT Collaboration brings in combination greater than 360 scientists, engineers, technicians and scholars of 68 establishments from 21 international locations everywhere the sector.
Additional info:
The KM3NeT Collaboration, Statement of an ultra-high-energy cosmic neutrino with KM3NeT, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08543-1. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08543-1.
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First ultra-high-energy neutrino detected in deep-sea telescope (2025, February 12)
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