|  A
project to discover the origin of mystery
rays hitting the earth is now the largest
in the world.
When
complete the Pierre Auger observatory in Argentina
will have 1,600 detectors covering an area
of 3,000 square km – approximately the
size of Lancashire.
The
collaboration recently set up its 200th detector
– exceeding the number deployed in the
largest project of its type to date in Japan.
The
observatory – a cosmic-ray air shower
array – aims to find the origin of sub-atomic
particles which hit the earth’s atmosphere
at energies believed to be impossible according
to existing theories.
The project’s spokesman is retired but
still active Professor Alan Watson. Leeds
is providing the communications network which
links the detectors to the central data collection
system.
The
observatory consists of an array of detectors
1.5km apart which catch particles propelled
towards earth when the cosmic rays hit the
atmosphere. Numbers and arrival times of particles
are logged and energy and arrival directions
calculated. Along with four telescopes which
record the faint glow in the sky of the particle
showers data of unprecedented quality can
be provided.
Dr
Johannes Knapp of the School of Physics and
Astronomy said the origin of the rays is a
mystery and that theory suggests they couldn’t
exist. He said, “This mystery is one
of the longest standing puzzles in modern
physics. To understand these rays means to
probe the most violent environments in the
universe and to test the laws of nature at
energy scales which prevailed only a fraction
of a second after the big bang.
“The
rays are there beyond doubt. It’s like
something tapping you on the shoulder and
not knowing where it comes from. Active galaxies
with supermassive black holes in their centre
are the least unlikely candidate sources.
The observatory is designed to solve the problem
by increasing statistics dramatically. In
six months Auger will double the number of
events that have been recorded over the past
40 years.”
Picture: A black-hole powered
jet of particles travelling at nearly the
speed of light from our nearest active galaxy,
M87. This could be the source of the mystery
rays. Source: NASA and The Hubble Heritage
Team (STScI/AURA)
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