June 14, 2010 - Mother Nature’s Particle Accelerators

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The Week in Space

June 14-20, 2010

Mother Nature’s Particle Accelerators Galactic cosmic rays are extremely energetic particles that come from outside the solar system and constantly bombard Earth while traveling very close to the speed of light. How these particles get accelerated to such tremendous velocities has long puzzled scientists, but recent observations of an ancient supernova remnant seem to have found the answer. This image shows part of a remnant of a star whose explosion was recorded in 185 AD. By studying this remnant in detail, a team of astronomers showed that the shock wave of the exploded star is very efficient at accelerating particles, and the energy used in this process matches the number of cosmic rays observed on Earth. The supernova remnant, RCW 86, is located about 8,200 light-years away.

Image credit:ESO / E. Helder & NASA / Chandra