Speaker
Description
Cosmic rays play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies, but their origin remains one of the biggest mysteries today. Their spectrum suggests the existence of so-called PeVatrons - astrophysical objects that accelerate particles up to at least PeV energies. However, we cannot trace them back to their accelerator, as they are deflected by interstellar magnetic fields. To hunt these extreme accelerators, we therefore need alternative messengers such as gamma rays or neutrinos, which are produced in interactions involving cosmic rays. With the recent release of a catalogue of ultra-high-energy gamma-ray sources by the LHAASO observatory, we obtained a first glimpse of where these PeVatrons are located. The next - much more crucial - milestones are to identify the astrophysical objects behind them, uncover the underlying particle populations, and determine the emission and acceleration mechanisms at work.
This contribution highlights key results from the search for Galactic PeVatrons and reviews strategies for achieving these milestones, drawing on data from the next-generation gamma-ray observatory CTAO, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, Australian radio surveys, and other facilities.
| Research Area | High-Energy Particle Physics |
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