Tycho Supernova Remnant -- High Energy (IMAGE)
Caption
High-energy X-rays in this image of the Tycho supernova remnant show a pattern of X-ray "stripes" never previously seen in a supernova remnant. These stripes may provide the first direct evidence that supernova remnants can accelerate particles to energies a hundred times higher than achieved by the most powerful particle accelerator on Earth, the Large Hadron Collider. The results could explain how some of the extremely energetic particles bombarding the Earth, called cosmic rays, are produced, and they provide support for a theory about how magnetic fields can be dramatically amplified in such blast waves.
Credit
X-ray: NASA/CXC/Rutgers/K. Eriksen et al.; Optical: DSS
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