"Wukong" reveals clues to the sources of cosmic-ray acceleration

A new study of the "Wukong" dark matter particle detection satellite has provided key evidence for the origin of cosmic rays. The research team analyzed nearly 9 years of highenergy particle data accumulated by the satellite in orbit and found that the highenergy ranges of the energy spectra of major particles such as protons, helium, carbon, oxygen, and iron all showed a similar "bump" feature, and the position of this feature was related to the particle's charge number. Based on this, the researchers inferred that there is an acceleration source near Earth in the universe, which accelerates particles to an energy limit that is related to the magnitude of their charge rather than their mass. This result is consistent with the "Peters cycle" hypothesis proposed in 1961 and also provides direct experimental support for the related theory for the first time. "Wukong" was launched at the end of 2015, with an originally designed service life of 3 years, and has now been operating in good health in orbit for over 10 years. As subsequent data continue to accumulate, scientists are expected to further narrow down the sources of cosmic rays and advance research into the mechanisms behind the origin of highenergy particles in the universe.