CERN Scientists Recreate Cosmic “Fireballs” to Unravel the Mystery of Missing Gamma Rays

In a remarkable scientific breakthrough, researchers have successfully recreated miniature versions of cosmic “fireballs” in a laboratory to investigate one of astrophysics’ longest-standing puzzles – the mystery of missing gamma rays. Led by a global team from the University of Oxford and conducted at CERN’s Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator, the experiment mimics the intense plasma jets emitted by blazars – distant galaxies powered by supermassive black holes.

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), mark a major step forward in understanding how electron–positron plasma beams behave as they travel across vast intergalactic distances. The results could help solve why certain gamma rays, expected to reach Earth, seem to vanish before being detected – potentially revealing evidence of ancient magnetic fields left over from the early universe.

CERN’s Plasma Fireballs Experiment Replicates Cosmic Jets in the Lab

According to the research report, scientists from Oxford University and the UK’s Central Laser Facility generated high-energy particle beams at CERN and passed them through plasma to replicate the behavior of cosmic jets emitted by blazars. Although telescopes like NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detect high-energy gamma rays from distant galaxies, astronomers have long noted a surprising deficit of lower-energy gamma rays closer to Earth.

One existing theory proposed that these gamma rays might lose energy or become unstable during their journey through space. However, the new CERN experiment paints a different picture. Instead of instability, the researchers observed that the plasma beams remained remarkably steady, generating weak but organized magnetic fields. These findings suggest that the “missing” gamma rays are not disappearing due to beam instability but rather being affected by faint intergalactic magnetic fields formed shortly after the Big Bang.

Implications for Cosmic Magnetism and New Physics

The results could significantly enhance our understanding of how cosmic magnetic fields evolved and how they continue to shape the universe today. According to the research team, the experiment also hints at the possibility of uncovering physics beyond the Standard Model – a tantalizing prospect that could reshape our comprehension of particle interactions and the structure of the cosmos.

“This discovery gives us valuable insights into how plasma jets behave and how ancient magnetic fields may still influence high-energy radiation across space,” said one of the study’s co-authors from the University of Oxford. “It brings us closer to understanding the hidden fabric of the intergalactic medium.”

Future Observations and Next Steps

To build on these findings, astronomers are eagerly anticipating data from the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), an upcoming next-generation gamma-ray observatory. The CTA will provide unprecedented sensitivity to detect weak magnetic fields and track whether these invisible structures are responsible for deflecting or dimming gamma rays as they travel through space.

Researchers believe the combination of laboratory plasma simulations and advanced cosmic observatories will finally close the gap in our understanding of missing gamma rays – offering new perspectives on how light, magnetism, and matter have evolved over billions of years.

Ultimately, this pioneering CERN experiment not only recreates the universe’s most extreme environments on Earth but also brings science one step closer to solving the cosmic mystery of disappearing gamma rays – a phenomenon that could hold the key to understanding the magnetic history of the cosmos.