High-energy cosmic neutrino detected under Mediterranean Sea

Reuters

Using an observatory under construction deep beneath the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily, scientists have detected a ghostly subatomic particle called a neutrino boasting record-breaking energy in another important step toward understanding some of the universe's most cataclysmic events.

The researchers, part of the KM3NeT (Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope) Collaboration, believe the neutrino came from beyond the Milky Way galaxy. They identified 12 supermassive black holes actively guzzling surrounding matter at the center of distant galaxies as possible origination points, though the neutrino may have arisen from some other source.

KM3NeT comprises two large neutrino detectors at the bottom of the Mediterranean. One called ARCA - 3,450 meters (2.1 miles) deep near Sicily - is designed to find high-energy neutrinos. One called ORCA - 2,450 meters (1.5 miles) deep near Provence, France - is designed to detect low-energy neutrinos.

The newly described "ultra-high energy" neutrino, detected by ARCA in February 2023, was measured at about 120 quadrillion electronvolts, a unit of energy.

https://www.reuters.com/science/high-energy-cosmic-neutrino-detected-under-mediterranean-sea-2025-02-12/