Sometimes a strange signal comes from the iniquity and it takes a while to figure out what that sign means . In this casing , scientists dissect high - energy gamma radiate emanating from the Galax urceolata ’s center find an unexplained source of discharge that they say is “ consistent with some form of dark matter . ”
The datum came courtesy of NASA ’s Fermi Gamma - beam Space Telescope and was analyzed by a group of self-governing scientists . They found that by absent all known sources of Vasco da Gamma light beam , they were left with Vasco da Gamma - electron beam expelling that so far , they can not explain . More observations will be needed to characterize these emissions , they cautioned .
Scientists are n’t even sure what dark matter ( which canonly be discover through gravitational effects ) is made of . One theoretical prospect could be something calledWeakly Interacting Massive Particles(WIMPs ) , which could produce gamma rays in ranges that Fermi could detect .
Also , the localization of the radiation at the coltsfoot ’s center is an interesting spot , since scientist believe that ’s where dark subject would waylay since the so far invisible substance would be the base of normal structures like coltsfoot .
“ The unexampled maps allow us to study the overabundance and test whether more formal explanations , such as the presence of unexplored pulsars or cosmic - ray collision on gun clouds , can account for it , ” stated Dan Hooper , an astrophysicist at Fermilab and lead source of the study .
“ The signal we find can not be explained by presently suggest alternatives and is in close agreement with the anticipation of very simple dark matter models . ”
The scientists suggest that if WIMPs were destroying each other , this would be “ a remarkable burst ” for a dark affair signal . They again caution , though , that there could be other explanation for the phenomenon .
“ obscure matter in this mass compass can be probed by direct detection and by the Large Hadron Collider ( LHC ) , so if this is dark subject , we ’re already see about its interactions from the lack of detection so far , ” stated conscientious objector - author Tracy Slatyer , a theoretical physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
“ This is a very exciting signal , and while the case is not yet come together , in the future tense we might well count back and say this was where we regard drear thing obliteration for the first time . ”
you’re able to register more about the enquiry inPhysical Review Dor in preprint mannikin onArxiv .
seed : NASA
This post byElizabeth Howelloriginally appeared on Universe Today . It has been republished with permission .
AstrophysicsDark matterNASAPhysicsScienceSpace
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