Enormous Detector Forces Rethink Of Highest Energy Cosmic Rays

摘要

Merida, mexico—When, a decade ago, physicists in Japan reported seeing far more ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays than expected, some theorists interpreted the excess as a hint of exotic new particles— perhaps supermassive relics from the big bang that could be part of the mysterious dark matter whose gravity holds the galaxies together. But the controversial excess of super-energetic particles from space has a simpler explanation, researchers with a far larger detector array now say: It doesn't exist.