Jakarta, INTI - Chinese scientists using the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) have identified the Cygnus X-3 binary system as the most powerful cosmic particle accelerator ever discovered to date.
The discovery was announced by the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Cygnus X-3 is a binary system consisting of a compact object, such as a black hole or neutron star, orbiting a massive companion star.
Particles Accelerated to at Least 30 PeV
As the compact object accretes material from the stellar wind emitted by its companion star, particles are accelerated to extremely high energy levels.
Previously, prevailing theories suggested that charged particles in the Milky Way could only reach energies of around 1 petaelectronvolt (PeV).
Through an analysis of time variability and the spectral characteristics of ultra-high-energy gamma rays, LHAASO confirmed that Cygnus X-3 is capable of accelerating particles to energies of at least 30 PeV.
“Cygnus X-3 can accelerate cosmic ray particles to energies reaching at least 30 PeV,” said Cao Zhen, LHAASO’s chief scientist and a CAS academician.
Opening New Opportunities for Scientific Research
LHAASO also detected a 4.8-hour periodicity in ultra-high-energy gamma-ray signals and constrained the particle acceleration region to approximately three times the radius of the Sun.
Researchers stated that the discovery provides new opportunities to study extreme physical processes occurring around compact objects such as black holes.
The findings have been published in the journal National Science Review.
Located in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, the LHAASO observatory sits at an altitude of approximately 4,410 meters above sea level. Covering an area of 1.36 square kilometers, the facility is dedicated to research on cosmic rays and gamma rays.
Conclusion
The discovery of Cygnus X-3 as the most powerful cosmic particle accelerator marks a major breakthrough in astrophysics research. By demonstrating the ability to accelerate particles to at least 30 PeV, the LHAASO observatory provides new insights into extreme cosmic phenomena and expands scientific understanding of high-energy processes occurring around compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars.
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