新华鲜报｜首次发现高能宇宙线新来源！“拉索”成果又上新

Core Insights - The LHAASO (Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory) has made a significant discovery regarding microquasars, which are powerful particle accelerators formed by the interaction of black holes and companion stars, capable of accelerating cosmic rays to energies above the "knee" threshold, providing crucial observational evidence for understanding the role of black holes in the origin of cosmic rays [1][6]. Group 1: Cosmic Rays - Cosmic rays are charged particles from outer space, primarily composed of various atomic nuclei, and are considered "messengers" of cosmic events. The origin of high-energy cosmic rays remains a mystery, particularly around the energy spectrum's critical knee point, where the number of cosmic rays sharply decreases at approximately 30 trillion electron volts [4]. - Previous theories suggested that cosmic rays originated from supernova remnants, but observations indicate that these remnants struggle to accelerate particles to energies above the knee [4]. Group 2: Research Methodology - Due to the charged nature of cosmic ray particles, their paths are influenced by magnetic fields, making it challenging to trace their origins directly. However, high-energy gamma rays produced when cosmic rays collide with interstellar matter can travel in straight lines, providing indirect evidence of cosmic ray sources [5]. Group 3: LHAASO's Findings - LHAASO's recent findings point to microquasars as a new class of cosmic ray sources. These systems consist of black holes in binary systems that consume material from companion stars, ejecting some of it as jets. LHAASO detected ultra-high-energy gamma-ray signals from five microquasars, revealing that the particle energies are located in the knee region of the cosmic ray spectrum [6]. - This discovery indicates that there are multiple types of particle accelerators in the Milky Way, with microquasars having a significantly higher acceleration limit than supernova remnants, thus becoming a new source of high-energy cosmic rays [6]. - LHAASO's findings not only address the long-standing mystery of the cosmic ray knee but also establish a connection between the knee structure and specific celestial bodies, such as black hole jet systems, paving the way for a deeper understanding of extreme physical processes in the universe [6].