Scientists have uncovered the most turbulent processes in the Universe at the heart of the Milky Way. What discoveries have they made?

Scientists, utilizing the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory located at an elevation of 4,100 meters on the Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico, have managed to peer into the harsh mystery of the Milky Way galaxy. They discovered ultra-high-energy gamma rays with energies exceeding 100 teraelectronvolts. For the first time, researchers have observed these rays emanating from the center of our galaxy. The study has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, as reported by Phys.

This marks the first detection of the highest energy gamma rays originating from the core of the Milky Way. The authors of the study have confirmed the presence of a source of ultra-high-energy gamma rays known as PeVatron at the center of our galaxy. This suggests that some of the most extreme processes in the universe are occurring there. The researchers identified nearly 100 bursts of gamma radiation with energies surpassing 100 teraelectronvolts.

The PeVatron gamma rays remain a largely unexplored phenomenon, but their very existence indicates that tumultuous processes are taking place at the heart of the Milky Way.

It is known that a supermassive black hole resides at the center of our galaxy, surrounded by neutron stars and white dwarf stars. This region is enveloped in dense gas clouds with temperatures reaching millions of degrees, which complicates direct observations of the area.

The detection of gamma rays on Earth is of great significance to scientists, as they can provide insights into the processes occurring in the extreme environment of the galaxy's core.

Ultra-high-energy gamma rays are produced by the presence of a PeVatron source, which accelerates particles to energies of a million trillion electronvolts, a quadrillion times greater than the energy of light particles emitted from a light bulb.

Cosmic ray protons generated by the PeVatron source travel nearly at the speed of light, interact with dense gas clouds, and lead to the creation of ultra-high-energy gamma rays.

However, the exact nature of the PeVatron gamma-ray source remains a mystery. Scientists believe that the processes involved in generating such powerful gamma rays are among the most violent imaginable in the universe. These could include supernova explosions, radiation associated with the birth of a new star featuring numerous thermonuclear reactions, and even the absorption of one black hole by another.

The authors of the study mention that some extreme processes occur very rarely, and scientists did not expect them to take place within our galaxy, or to occur on such scales that are incomparable to the size of the Milky Way.

Now, researchers aim to precisely determine the location of the powerful gamma-ray source at the center of our galaxy, which could help unveil one of its many secrets.