Astronomers are Closing in on the Source of Galactic Cosmic Rays

Astronomers are Closing in on the Source of Galactic Cosmic Rays

In 1912, astronomer Victor Hess discovered strange, high-energy particles called "cosmic rays." Since then, researchers have hunted for their birthplaces. Today, we know about some of the cosmic ray "launch pads", ranging from the Sun and supernova explosions to black holes and distant active galactic nuclei. What astronomers are now searching are sources of cosmic rays within the Milky Way Galaxy. One such source is a pulsar wind nebula sending…

XRISM Spies the Remains of a Galactic Donut

Recent observations of a well-studied but confounding galaxy provide new insights into the structure of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei.