Scientists trace 2021 Antarctic 'ghost' neutrino to galaxy shadow blaster
Technology
Scientists have finally tracked a mysterious high-energy neutrino, nicknamed a "ghost particle," back to its strongest candidate home: a distant, dusty galaxy called Shadow Blaster, sitting 11 billion light-years from Earth.
This tiny particle was caught beneath Antarctic ice in 2021, and finding its origin is a big deal since neutrinos are super tricky to spot and study.
Star formation linked to neutrino production
Shadow Blaster isn't just any galaxy: it's packed with gas and bursting with new stars.
Instead of black holes (the usual suspects for these particles), it's intense star formation and exploding stars that seem to launch cosmic rays, which then smash into dense gas to create high-energy neutrinos.