In a big breakthrough, scientists from the Universities of Birmingham and Chicago have recreated how cosmic rays gain energy in space—but this time, inside a small laboratory device.
The new study, published in Physical Review Letters, shows how a 100-micrometre Fermi accelerator built using ultracold atoms can mimic cosmic ray acceleration. This is the first successful lab simulation of a process called Fermi acceleration, first proposed by famous physicist Enrico Fermi in 1949.
In space, cosmic rays gain energy when they bounce between moving magnetic fields or shock waves. In the lab version, researchers replaced magnetic fields with laser-controlled optical barriers. These barriers collide with trapped ultracold atoms, pushing them to speeds above 0.5 metres per second.
“This setup gives us precise control, and there’s no theoretical speed limit,” said Dr. Amita Deb from the University of Birmingham. She explained that this method is more powerful than other quantum acceleration tools currently available.
The experiment also reproduced the energy patterns seen in space, confirming long-held theories about how cosmic rays behave. It even validated Bell’s result, a key idea in cosmic ray physics that had never been proven in the lab—until now.
Dr. Vera Guarrera, the lead author, said this marks a turning point for astrophysics and quantum research.
“We can now study things like cosmic shocks and turbulence inside a lab,” she said. “This opens up new paths not just in space science, but in areas like quantum chemistry and atom-based electronics.”
The device may also play a future role in atomtronics, a field where atoms are used in place of electrical circuits.
Researchers now want to explore how the setup reacts under different conditions to understand energy limits and acceleration speeds better.
In short, this tiny cold-atom accelerator is a mini version of the universe’s energy lab—a powerful tool that helps us understand how particles are energized in space, all from the comfort of Earth.
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