UW-Madison researchers key in revealing neutrinos emanating from galactic neighbor with a gigantic black hole

The IceCube Lab sits atop a 1-billion-ton network of sensing equipment and ice at the South Pole. Using the powerful neutrino telescope, researchers have identified a new source of astrophysical neutrinos coming from the galaxy NGC 1068. Martin Wolf, IceCube/NSF - On Earth, billions of subatomic particles called neutrinos pass through us every second, but we never notice because they rarely interact with matter. Because of this, neutrinos can travel straight paths over vast distances unimpeded, carrying information about their cosmic origins. Although most of these aptly named "ghost" particles detected on Earth originate from the Sun or our own atmosphere, some neutrinos come from the cosmos, far beyond our galaxy. These neutrinos, called astrophysical neutrinos, can provide valuable insight into some of the most powerful objects in the universe. For the first time, an international team of scientists has found evidence of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos emanating from the galaxy NGC 1068 in the constellation Cetus.