Mysterious High-Energy Particle Detected, Challenging Physics

The KM3NeT neutrino detector in Italy detected an unprecedented particle in 2023, with 35 times more energy than previously observed. Initially thought to be a neutrino, its origin is unknown. The detection sparked questions: was it a cosmic ray or something new? Detectors like KM3NeT and IceCube in Antarctica detect muons created when neutrinos interact with matter. This new muon's energy level was unexpectedly high. Its source could be a distant galaxy or a high-energy neutrino swarm. However, IceCube didn't detect a similar signal, leading to a new hypothesis. Bhupal Dev and his team suggest it might be a dark matter particle. They propose that high-energy protons in blazars could transfer energy to dark matter particles more effectively than neutrinos. This could explain the different detection results. This hypothesis needs further verification, such as searching for the simultaneous production of two muons. This discovery has the potential to reshape physics.