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A mysterious glow is coming from among us GALAXY — and scientists say it could help solve one of the universe’s deepest mysteries.
The spread of gamma rays towards the heart of galaxy Unexplained for decades. But researchers believe it could be the result of fragments colliding dark matterOr the rotation of neutron stars.
If the explanation is the former, and the glow comes from dark matter, this could be the first evidence that it actually exists.
“Dark matter dominates the universe and holds galaxies together. It is extremely consequential and we are thinking deeply all the time about how we can detect it,” said the co-author. joseph silkThe professor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins said in a statement.
“Gamma rays, and especially the extra light we’re seeing at the center of our galaxy, may be our first clue.”
In a new study, scientists created a map of where they expected to find dark matter in the galaxy. In its early years, small systems of dark matter and other material came into the galaxy toward its center and clumped together, increasing the number of dark matter collisions.
Those maps are part of a body of evidence that suggests the gamma ray glow is coming from dark matter at the center of the galaxy. He says the simulations show the same signals and characteristics that are found in the real world.
But they note that older neutron stars that have woken up may also emit light, which could also explain similar evidence. But, for that theory to work, scientists would have to change the math a bit to suggest that many more pulsars actually exist than they appear.
Researchers hope that another experiment will eventually provide more certainty – and may provide the first evidence of dark matter. If the gamma rays have high energy, they are probably stars, while lower energy rays probably come from dark matter collisions.
“In my opinion, a clear signal would be a smoking gun,” Silk said.
Until then, they hope to perform similar simulations of other galaxies around the galaxy, and then compare that to the data.
“It’s possible that we’ll see new data and confirm one theory over another,” Silk said. “Or perhaps we won’t find anything, in which case it would be an even bigger mystery to solve.”