Scientists have detected a tiny, ghost-like particle called a neutrino with record-breaking energy using an underwater observatory near Sicily. This discovery could help explain some of the most powerful events in the universe.
The team, part of the KM3NeT project, believes the neutrino originated outside the Milky Way galaxy. They identified 12 distant black holes, each pulling in massive amounts of surrounding matter, as possible sources. However, researchers noted that the neutrino could have originated from another unknown source.
The KM3NeT project operates two large detectors deep under the Mediterranean Sea. ARCA, located 3,450 meters below the surface near Sicily, is designed to detect high-energy neutrinos.
ORCA, positioned 2,450 meters deep near Provence, France, focuses on neutrinos with lower energy. These detectors help scientists study elusive particles that rarely interact with matter.
“Ultra-high energy” cosmic neutrino of 120 quadrillion electronvolts
ARCA detected an “ultra-high-energy” neutrino in February 2023, measured at about 120 quadrillion electronvolts.
This neutrino carried 30 times more energy than any neutrino detected before, a quadrillion times more energy than photons, and 10,000 times more energy than particles produced by the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
“It’s in a completely unexplored region of energy,” said physicist Paschal Coyle from the Marseille Particle Physics Centre in France, a lead researcher in the study published in the journal Nature.
Physicist Aart Heijboer from the Nikhef National Institute for Subatomic Physics in the Netherlands called the neutrino’s energy “remarkable.”
Undersea Telescope snags highest-energy Neutrino.
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There's a telescope sitting more than 2.4 km under the Mediterranean Sea, where no sunlight can reach.In this inky darkness, the Kilometer Cubic Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT) waits for a Neutrino to show up. pic.twitter.com/6RtXtIW9J2
— ᑕOՏᗰIᑕ ᗰᗴՏՏᗴᑎᘜᗴᖇ ≈ 𝕃𝕦𝕚𝕤 𝔸𝕝𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕠⁷ ∞∃⊍ (@LuisADomDaly) February 13, 2025
Neutrinos offer a novel method for exploring the universe without depending on light. Many cosmic events remain concealed when observed solely through light, making neutrinos crucial for a deeper understanding.
With no electric charge and almost no mass, neutrinos are unaffected by magnetic fields and pass through stars, planets, and even entire galaxies without being stopped.
This unique ability makes neutrinos reliable “cosmic messengers.” Scientists can trace them back to their origins, whether within the Milky Way or from galaxies far beyond, offering insights into the most energetic processes in the cosmos.
Properties and detection of neutrinos
“Neutrinos are ghost particles. They travel through walls, all the way through the Earth, and all the way from the edge of the universe,” Coyle said. “Neutrinos have zero charge, zero size, almost zero mass, and almost zero interaction. They are the closest thing to nothing one can imagine, but nevertheless, they are key to fully understanding the universe.”
Unlike neutrinos, other high-energy particles like cosmic rays have their paths bent by magnetic fields, making them harder to trace back to their source.
Detecting neutrinos is challenging and requires large observatories placed in clear, open environments, such as deep underwater or on ice. These settings provide the space needed for a neutrino to collide with another particle, creating a flash of light known as Cherenkov radiation.
The ARCA detector identified the neutrino as a muon neutrino, concluding it originated from space after traveling through 140 kilometers of rock and seawater before reaching the observatory. The KM3NeT detectors are still under construction and have not yet reached their full capabilities.
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