Astronomers identify the Milky Way's most powerful cosmic particle accelerator

A Hiroshima University-led team has conclusively confirmed that an object near the star Altair is a "PeVatron" — a natural cosmic-ray particle accelerator producing the highest-energy protons in the Milky Way. The finding combined gamma-ray, radio and X-ray data from three separate observatories to rule out competing explanations. PeVatrons are far more powerful than any human-built accelerator and the discovery aids the hunt for similar sources across the galaxy.

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