After nearly 100 years, scientists may have detected dark matter
13 hours ago
- #astronomy
- #dark-matter
- #gamma-rays
- Fritz Zwicky inferred the existence of dark matter in the 1930s due to galaxies moving faster than their mass should allow.
- NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope may have provided the first direct evidence of dark matter.
- Dark matter doesn't interact with electromagnetic force, making it invisible and detectable only through gravitational effects.
- Theories suggest dark matter consists of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), which annihilate upon collision, releasing gamma rays.
- Professor Tomonori Totani detected gamma rays (20 GeV) matching predictions of WIMP annihilation near the Milky Way's center.
- The gamma-ray emissions align with theoretical WIMP models and are unlikely to result from other astronomical phenomena.
- Totani's findings, if verified, would be the first direct observation of dark matter, marking a breakthrough in physics.
- Further confirmation is needed, including detecting similar gamma-ray emissions in dwarf galaxies within the Milky Way's halo.