Most unusual portrait of the Milky Way: mapping the Galaxy with neutrinos (2023)
2 days ago
- IceCube observatory at the South Pole detected high-energy neutrinos from the Galactic Centre, producing the first neutrino-based portrait of the Milky Way.
- Neutrinos are the lightest elementary particles and can travel through matter unimpeded, offering a new way to study dense regions like galactic centres.
- Researchers analyzed 10 years of data, using machine learning to distinguish Galactic neutrinos from atmospheric ones, finding a concentration along the Milky Way's gamma-ray-emitting regions.
- The study did not pinpoint individual sources but suggests neutrinos are created in interstellar space, with future upgrades expected to reveal more.
- Neutrino astronomy could help solve the mystery of cosmic ray origins and uncover new astrophysical phenomena.