New research suggests supernova remnants, like Tycho, can briefly become the universe's most powerful particle accelerators, dubbed "PeVatrons." This occurs when a star sheds significant mass before exploding, creating a dense shell. The supernova shockwave then accelerates particles within this shell to peta-electronvolt (PeV) energies. However, this PeVatron phase is short-lived, lasting only months, explaining why such events are rarely observed.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.