Scientists Detect First Radio Signals From Cosmic Rays Hitting Antarctic Ice
Scientists buried deep in Antarctic ice detected the first radio signals created when high-energy cosmic rays from space slam into ice and create particle explosions. The detector recorded 13 radio bursts that prove a physics theory predicted 60 years ago.
A detector buried deep in Antarctic ice has captured something scientists have been hunting for decades: radio signals created when cosmic rays crash into ice.
Cosmic rays are invisible, high-energy particles that zoom through space and constantly hit Earth. When they slam into the Antarctic ice sheet, they create cascades of other particles that give off radio waves.
This effect, called Askaryan radiation, was predicted by scientists in the 1960s but never detected until now. The Antarctic detector recorded 13 radio bursts that match exactly what the theory predicted.
The discovery matters because cosmic rays carry clues about some of the most violent events in the universe, like exploding stars and black holes. But cosmic rays are hard to study because they're invisible and come from random directions.
Radio detection gives scientists a new tool to track these mysterious particles. The radio signals can travel through ice much better than light, making it easier to spot cosmic ray impacts over large areas.
This breakthrough opens a new way to study mysterious cosmic rays that bombard Earth from deep space. Scientists can now use radio signals to track these invisible particles and learn more about the violent events in the universe that created them.
Scientists will expand the detector network to capture more radio signals and map cosmic ray impacts across Antarctica.
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