Ultraheavy nuclei may power the universe's fastest cosmic rays, study says
TL;DR
New simulations suggest ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays hitting Earth could be atomic nuclei heavier than iron, which lose energy more slowly over cosmic distances; events like neutron-star mergers or massive star collapses into black holes may accelerate these ultraheavy nuclei, reshaping how scientists search for their sources and understand cosmic-ray acceleration.
Topics:sciencespace#cosmic-rays#gamma-ray-bursts#heavy-nuclei#neutron-star-mergers#space#ultrahigh-energy-cosmic-rays
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- Ultrahigh-energy cosmic messengers may carry ultraheavy secrets Phys.org
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