Scientists at the kilometre cubic neutrino telescope (KM3NeT) have detected a neutrino with an estimated energy of about 220 PeV, marking the most energetic neutrino ever observed. This event, known as KM3-230213A, was detected on February 13th, 2023.
The detection is significant because it highlights the capabilities of KM3NeT, a project designed to study high-energy particles in the universe. The telescope uses detectors to capture neutrinos that interact with matter, providing insights into remote objects and events beyond our solar system.
Due to their weak interaction with matter, neutrinos cannot be observed directly like photons. Instead, they are detected via Cherenkov radiation, which is converted into blue light by photomultipliers. These detectors are crucial for the project’s success and are located at a depth of 3,450 meters off the coast of Sicily.
The detection of this high-energy neutrino provides valuable information about its origin and helps scientists understand the universe better. However, pinpointing the exact source is challenging, as only one event has been detected so far.
This event is promising for the KM3NeT project, which is still under construction and receiving additional detectors off the coasts of France and Greece. Future detections will provide a clearer picture of high-energy neutrinos and their potential sources.
The detection of high-energy neutrinos also opens up new avenues for research into cosmic rays and cosmogenic neutrinos. With ongoing projects searching for these particles, KM3NeT’s detection adds to our understanding of the universe’s most energetic phenomena.
Source: https://hackaday.com/2025/02/14/most-energetic-cosmic-neutrino-ever-observed-by-km3net-deep-sea-telescope