Overview

• Researchers using the ANITA balloon array detected radio pulses emerging at steep angles from about 30 degrees below the ice surface.
• The signals appear to have traversed thousands of kilometers of rock which Standard Model particles cannot survive, making them anomalous.
• Cross-checks with IceCube and the Pierre Auger Observatory found no similar detections, leaving the phenomenon unconfirmed by other experiments.
• Leading theories for the origin include physics beyond the Standard Model, dark matter interactions, or novel radio propagation effects near the ice.
• To investigate further, scientists are developing the Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) detector, slated for launch in 2026.