Scientists operating the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) in China have identified the binary system Cygnus X-3 as the most powerful particle accelerator yet discovered in the cosmos.
The finding was announced by the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Cygnus X-3 is located in the constellation Cygnus and consists of a compact object, likely a black hole or neutron star, orbiting a massive Wolf-Rayet star.
The system produces intense high-energy gamma-ray emission, indicating that particles are being accelerated to extreme energies within its environment.
LHAASO, situated at high altitude on the Tibetan Plateau, is designed to detect extensive air showers generated by cosmic rays and gamma rays striking Earth's atmosphere.
Its sensitivity at ultra-high energies allowed researchers to measure the gamma-ray spectrum from Cygnus X-3 with unprecedented precision.
The observations show that particle acceleration in this binary system reaches energies higher than those observed from any other known galactic or extragalactic source.
Further study of Cygnus X-3 with LHAASO and other instruments is expected to clarify the physical mechanisms driving such extreme acceleration.
China's observatory discovers powerful cosmic particle accelerator
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