Origin of 'ghost particle' traced to distant black hole
Washington, July 13 : For the first time, scientists have found the source of a high-energy ghostly particle, known as neutrino, that travelled 3.7 billion years at almost the speed of light to reach Earth.
Using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray space telescope, scientists traced the path of this hard-to-catch particle to a blast of gamma-ray light from a distant supermassive black hole in the constellation Orion.
Scientists believe that high-energy neutrinos are created by the most powerful events in the cosmos, such as galaxy mergers and material falling onto supermassive black holes.
They travel at speeds just shy of the speed of light and rarely interact with other matter, allowing them to travel unimpeded across distances of billions of light-years.
The findings detailed in the journal Science marked the detection of the source of such a particle for the first time.
"Again, Fermi has helped make another giant leap in a growing field we call multimessenger astronomy," said Paul Hertz, Director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
"Neutrinos and gravitational waves deliver new kinds of information about the most extreme environments in the universe. But to best understand what they're telling us, we need to connect them to the 'messenger' astronomers know best - light," Hertz added.
The neutrino was discovered last year in Antarctica by an international team of scientists using the US National Science Foundation's IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
It hit the Antarctic ice with the energy of about 300 trillion electron volts -- more than 45 times the energy achievable in the most powerful particle accelerator on Earth.
This high energy strongly suggested that the neutrino had to be from beyond our solar system.
Backtracking the path through IceCube indicated where in the sky the neutrino came from, and automated alerts notified astronomers around the globe to search this region for flares or outbursts that could be associated with the event.
Data from Fermi revealed enhanced gamma-ray emission from a well-known active galaxy at the time the neutrino arrived.
This is a type of active galaxy called a blazar, with a supermassive black hole with millions to billions of times the Sun's mass that blasts jets of particles outward in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light.
Blazars are especially bright and active because one of these jets happens to point almost directly toward Earth.
Fermi scientist Yasuyuki Tanaka at Hiroshima University in Japan was the first to associate the neutrino event with the blazar designated TXS 0506+056 (TXS 0506 for short), NASA said.
"The most extreme cosmic explosions produce gravitational waves, and the most extreme cosmic accelerators produce high-energy neutrinos and cosmic rays," said Regina Caputo of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
"Through Fermi, gamma rays are providing a bridge to each of these new cosmic signals," Caputo said.
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Inappropriate for MLAs seeking free IPL tickets, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd President D.K. Suresh on Monday said it is inappropriate for MLAs to seek free IPL tickets, adding that those interested in watching matches should pay for them personally.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “IPL is a commercial tournament and does not represent the country. It is not right for public representatives to focus too much on such matters.”
Referring to the recent controversy during the RCB celebrations, he said, “let us find out who benefited the most from the statements made during the incident.” He also pointed out that BJP MLAs had received IPL tickets as well.
Responding to discussions about relocating the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suresh said the government has already approved the construction of a new stadium at a location he had proposed.
“I had suggested building a stadium in Surya City and submitted a proposal for it. Bengaluru needs four stadiums in four directions to cater to its growing population and encourage youth participation in sports,” he said.
He noted that apart from Kanteerava Stadium, KSCA, and the Football Stadium, there are limited facilities in the city.
“When I was a Lok Sabha member, I had proposed allocating 100 acres in my constituency at Surya City. The land was later earmarked and the plan approved,” he added.
Suresh said he has discussed the project with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Chairman Shivalingegowda, and Anekal MLA Shivanna.
“The Cabinet has now approved the project, and a stadium will be developed on around 50–60 acres,” he said.
He further added that he has requested the Deputy Chief Minister to build another stadium at Shivarama Karanth Layout through the BDA, where 40 acres have been allocated. Plans are also being discussed to develop a well-equipped stadium in Bidadi.
Commending state government's recent bilingual policy move, Suresh said forcing children to learn three languages could affect their comprehension.
“It is a good decision to make two languages compulsory. Learning a third language should be left to the choice of students and parents,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, he said their tendency is to oppose every decision of the government.
“To please their central leadership, they take a pro-Hindi stance. Instead, they should advocate for the adoption of Kannada in all states,” he said.
When asked about the earlier three-language policy under Congress, he said, “the situation is different now. Today, the focus should be on quality learning. Kannada should remain the primary language, while students and parents can choose an additional language.”
