Astroparticle physics

NASA's Fermi Traces Source of Cosmic Neutrino to Monster Black Hole

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 12, 2018

The neutrino was discovered by an international team of scientists using the National Science Foundation's IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the AmundsenScott South Pole Station.

Key Points: 
  • The neutrino was discovered by an international team of scientists using the National Science Foundation's IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the AmundsenScott South Pole Station.
  • Fermi found the source of the neutrino by tracing its path back to a blast of gamma-ray light from a distant supermassive black hole in the constellation Orion.
  • Scientists study neutrinos, as well as cosmic rays and gamma rays, to understand what is going on in turbulent cosmic environments such as supernovas, black holes and stars.
  • But, scientists rely on gamma rays, the most energetic form of light, to brightly flag what cosmic source is producing these neutrinos and cosmic rays.