Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have made a groundbreaking discovery that suggests supermassive black holes could be generating high-energy particle collisions, rivaling those of the Large Hadron Collider. The study, published in Physical Review Letters, proposes that certain spinning black holes can act as natural particle accelerators, accelerating particles to unprecedentedly high energies.
For over a decade, scientists have theorized about the possibility of supermassive black holes being used for this purpose. However, the new study attempts to validate this theory by modeling the behavior of particles near the edge of these massive voids. The researchers found that as gas flows into the black hole, it creates violent collisions that accelerate particles to extremely high energies.
These ultra-energetic particles could potentially be detected by Earth-based observatories like IceCube in Antarctica or the KM3NeT telescope beneath the Mediterranean Sea. While traditional particle colliders are still necessary for certain types of research, this new approach could provide a cost-effective and naturally occurring complement to existing technology.
The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of dark matter and other elusive particles. If confirmed, it could offer a new avenue for research and potentially even yield evidence of the existence of dark matter.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/physicists-propose-cheaper-alternative-to-particle-colliders-supermassive-black-holes-2000610662