China's observatory discovers powerful cosmic particle accelerator
Chinese scientists using the LHAASO observatory have identified the binary system Cygnus X-3 as the most powerful cosmic particle accelerator discovered to date. The system accelerates particles to energies of at least 30 PeV.
Why it matters
This discovery provides new insights into extreme physical processes near black holes and neutron stars, advancing our understanding of high-energy astrophysics.
Scientists using China’s Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) recently found that a remarkable binary system in the constellation Cygnus, Cygnus X-3, is the most powerful particle accelerator discovered to date, according to the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Cygnus X-3 is a binary system composed of a compact object (either a black hole or a neutron star) and a massive companion star. As the compact object voraciously accretes material from the intense stellar wind of its companion, it accelerates particles to extremely high energies. However, previous mainstream theories held that charged particles within the Milky Way could reach energies of about 1 PeV (peta-electron volt), scientists said.
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