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How Lasers Recreated a Cosmic Shockwave - And Solved a 40-Year Mystery of Particle Acceleration

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In a dramatic leap for astrophysics, Chinese researchers have recreated a key cosmic process in the lab: the acceleration of ions by powerful collisionless shocks. By using intense lasers to simulate space-like conditions,
Scientists at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics have successfully recreated a cosmic shockwave using high-powered lasers, solving a 40-year mystery about how particles are accelerated to near-light speeds in space. By simulating the interaction between two plasma flows, the researchers observed the formation of a collisionless shock, a type of shockwave that occurs without physical contact between particles. This experiment, detailed in a study published in Nature Physics, confirmed that such shocks can indeed accelerate particles to high energies, a phenomenon previously theorized but never directly observed. The findings not only validate long-standing theories about particle acceleration in astrophysical settings but also enhance our understanding of cosmic rays and their origins.

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