Chinese DAMPE satellite finds cosmic ray acceleration limit determined by charge.

China's DAMPE satellite, nicknamed Wukong, has provided the first observational evidence of a charge-dependent limit in cosmic ray acceleration. Using data from 2016 to 2024, researchers found a sharp drop in particle counts at a specific high-energy threshold, with the limit determined by charge rather than mass. This finding supports a theoretical model and suggests the presence of a natural "super particle accelerator" within about 1,000 light-years of Earth.