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Koilon
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Does anyone know how energetic the most energetic photons ever detected from a natural source were and what their source was?
Norman said:Check out this link to a paper that discusses the Pierre Auger Observatory searching for UHE photons. They discuss detecting photon events at about 2.2 EeV. (1 EeV = 10^18 eV).
Here is the link: http://www.auger.org/technical_info/pdfs/icrc2007/icrc602.pdf
I do not know if these are the most energetic photons detected or not.
Koilon said:I would have to question your interpretation of this very interesting article you cited. In citing the figure 2.2 EeV, I think you must be referring to Figure 3 therein, but the scale there is Log(Energy/EeV) - not Energy/EeV and the anti-Log of 2.2 would give an energy of about 158 EeV for the most energetic photons that this work detected. This is same order of magnitude as the energy of the 300 EeV Oh-My-God particle detected on October 15, 1991, over Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah - and 15 similar events detected since. So, considering that the text of the paper paper is focused on photons with energies above 10, 20 and 40 EeV, I think they obviously detected photons much more energetic than 2.2 EeV.
Norman said:And correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the 1991 event thought to be a charged particle? I understand particle identification at these energies is very difficult, but I seem to remember that at the time (and as recently as a few years ago when I heard some talks from the Fly's Eye collab.) that they were thinking it was a positively charged particle.
Photons are particles of electromagnetic radiation that carry energy and momentum. They are important in science because they are the fundamental unit of light and play a crucial role in many physical phenomena, such as photosynthesis and vision.
Photons can be detected and measured using specialized instruments such as photomultiplier tubes, charge-coupled devices (CCDs), and photodiodes. These instruments detect the energy and position of individual photons and convert them into an electrical signal that can be analyzed by scientists.
The most energetic Photon ever detected was observed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) in 2018. It had an energy of 100 TeV (tera-electron volts), which is equivalent to the energy of an entire bowling ball traveling at 100 kilometers per hour.
Photons are used in medical imaging techniques such as X-rays, CT scans, and PET scans. These techniques use high-energy photons to create images of the inside of the body, allowing doctors to diagnose and treat various medical conditions.
Yes, Photons can be used as a source of renewable energy through solar panels. Solar panels use Photons from sunlight to create electricity, which can be used to power homes and businesses. This is a clean and sustainable way to generate energy without depleting natural resources.