The universe is a stage filled with extreme phenomena, where temperatures and energies reach unimaginable levels. In this context, there are objects such as supernova remnants, pulsars, and active galactic nuclei that generate charged particles and gamma rays with energies far exceeding those involved in nuclear processes like fusion within stars. These particles, as direct witnesses of extreme cosmic processes, offer key insights into the workings of the universe.
Gamma rays, for instance, have the ability to traverse space without being altered, providing direct information about their sources of origin. However, charged particles, known as cosmic rays, face a more complex journey. When interacting with the omnipresent magnetic fields of the cosmos, these particles are deflected and lose part of their energy, especially high-energy electrons and positrons, referred to as cosmic-ray electrons (CRe). With energies surpassing one teraelectronvolt (TeV)—a thousand times more than visible light—these particles gradually fade away, complicating the identification of their point of origin.
Detecting high-energy particles such as CRe is a monumental task. Space instruments, with their limited detection areas, fail to capture sufficient particles at these extreme energies. On the other hand, ground-based observatories face an additional challenge: distinguishing particle cascades triggered by cosmic-ray electrons from the far more frequent ones generated by protons and heavier cosmic-ray nuclei.
This is where the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia comes into play. This scientific complex employs an array of five telescopes designed to detect faint Cherenkov light produced when high-energy charged particles penetrate Earth’s atmosphere, creating particle cascades. While its primary goal is the study of gamma rays and their sources, H.E.S.S. also enables the analysis of CRe thanks to its advanced detection systems.
Recently, scientists from the H.E.S.S. collaboration carried out an unprecedented analysis of data collected over more than a decade. Using innovative algorithms to filter background signals and extract CRe, they managed to obtain a high-quality dataset, allowing them to study these particles at the highest energy ranges observed to date, reaching up to 40 TeV.
One of the most surprising discoveries was an abrupt shift in the energy distribution of CRe. This finding suggests that these particles come from a small number of sources located near our solar system. Among the potential sources are pulsars, objects with extremely powerful magnetic fields that, as they spin, accelerate charged particles and generate gamma rays in concentrated beams. In these processes, pairs of electrons and positrons are created and accelerated to colossal energies, making pulsars natural laboratories for particle physics.
These advances open new lines of investigation into the nature of high-energy particles and the environments in which they are generated. The ability to trace these particles back to their sources allows astrophysicists to explore phenomena such as the evolution of galactic magnetic fields and the role of supernovae and pulsars as natural cosmic accelerators.
The universe remains an enigma, but with tools like H.E.S.S., we are getting closer to uncovering its most hidden secrets. From the vast desert of Namibia, gamma rays and charged particles continue to reveal the stories of a dynamic cosmos full of surprises.
SOURCES
F. Aharonian, F. Ait Benkhali, et al., High-Statistics Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Electron Spectrum with H.E.S.S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 221001 – Published 25 November, 2024. DOI: doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.221001
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