Scientists have come a step closer to understanding how collisionless shock waves—found throughout the universe—are able to accelerate particles to extreme speeds. The research, published in Nature ...

For the first time, astronomers have caught a glimpse of shock waves rippling along strands of the cosmic web — the enormous tangle of galaxies, gas and dark matter that fills the observable universe.

For many years, scientists have been trying to understand cosmic rays—tiny, fast-moving particles that stream through space and bombard Earth nonstop. These high-energy particles are linked to ...