Supernova Remnants: Briefly Universe's Most Powerful Colliders
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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.
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