Telescopes hint at neutrino beacon at the heart of the Milky Way

[n2doc]

(Phys.org) —Identifying the sources of high-energy neutrinos—ghostly but potentially information-rich particles believed to be generated by some of the most violent objects in the sky—is near the top of many an astrophysicist's bucket list.

By their nature, high-energy neutrinos are very difficult to detect and follow back to their points of origin. Things like gamma ray bursts, colliding galaxies, black holes, newly forming stars and other dynamic celestial phenomena, scientists believe, are what kick-start high-energy neutrinos and send them on their course through the cosmos. The subatomic particles have no charge, almost no mass, and can zip through planets, stars and entire galaxies without skipping a beat.

But thanks to a confluence of data from a suite of vastly different telescopes, including three orbiting X-ray telescopes and the IceCube Neutrino Observatory sunk deep into the ice beneath the South Pole, there are tantalizing clues that the massive black hole at the core of the Milky Way may be one such cosmic accelerator.

Should scientists confirm the observations, it would be the first time neutrinos have been detected emanating from a black hole.

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http://phys.org/news/2014-11-telescopes-hint-neutrino-beacon-heart.html

[WillyT]

1. K & R !!!

[longship]

2. Ice Cube is an awesome Big Science detector.

Here's the Wiki: IceCube Neutrino Observatory

Big Science is awesome. Literally. Like standing under the 200 inch Hale telescope at Mount Palomar and realizing that the bottom of the optical tube is some 17 feet above your head. Or maybe looking at the ALMA array in Chile which is at over 5000 meters altitude.


Or the ATLAS detector at the LHC, which is the size of a ten story office block, on its side.


Sorry, it's too big for a single photo to get it all, but here's an actual pic during its construction.

BTW, that's a worker standing at the center bottom.

Big science is fucking awesome

There are many big science sites which you can tour. Almost all welcome visitors. I recommend them.

Blow your mind.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody .

[Fumesucker]

3. I've been to both Palomar and Arecibo, very impressive sites

You can't walk out on the observatory floor at Palomar, they have an enclosed gallery for visitors to one side of the facility, you can see but not get under the telescope.

It's a shame that spreading light pollution has reduced the effectiveness of the Hale telescope.