How Gravitational Waves May Revolutionize Dark Matter Detection

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking method for determining if black hole mergers transpired within dense clouds of dark matter, paving the way for new insights into one of astronomy’s greatest enigmas.

The gravitational waves recorded by LIGO captured the final moments of two black holes merging into a larger, rotating black hole. Image credit: T. Pyle / LIGO.

Dark matter is an elusive, virtual substance that doesn’t interact with electromagnetic forces, making it invisible and difficult to detect directly.

This mysterious matter allows light, magnetic fields, and other energies to traverse without leaving any observable trace.

The existence of dark matter is inferred solely through its gravitational influence, observable in how gravity bends around galaxies.

Astronomers recognize that this bending indicates a gravitational field, an influencing force outside a galaxy’s own gravity, responsible for lensing phenomena.

Current estimates suggest that dark matter constitutes more than 85% of the universe’s matter, yet its true nature remains hotly debated.

One theory posits the existence of light scalar particles, significantly lighter than electrons, as a form of dark matter.

The researchers hypothesize that dark matter behaves as both a particle and a wave as it approaches a black hole.

When dark matter waves interact with a rapidly spinning black hole, energy may be transferred, amplifying these waves through a phenomenon known as superradiation.

This results in a dense swirling of dark matter reminiscent of cream stirred into butter.

At extreme densities, this light scalar dark matter could leave distinctive imprints on gravitational waves emitted from colliding black holes, although questions remain about the specific nature of that signature.

Would such a signature be detectable in gravitational waves traveling from merging black holes millions of light-years away?

To explore these questions, MIT physicist Jos Aurecoechea and collaborators developed a model predicting gravitational waveforms that would occur if two black holes collided within a dark matter-rich environment instead of a vacuum.

“We know dark matter permeates our universe; it simply must be dense enough for us to observe its effects,” Dr. Aurekoetsea noted.

“Black holes serve as a unique mechanism for increasing dark matter density, and we can investigate this by studying the gravitational waves they emit during merges.”

The research team analyzed signals captured in the initial three observations from LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK), a global network of observatories dedicated to detecting gravitational waves from black hole mergers and other celestial events.

Among the 28 prominent signals, 27 were identified as originating from black holes merging in a vacuum.

However, one signal, a pattern identified in GW 190728, exhibited indications of a potential dark matter signature.

It’s important to note that, as of now, dark matter has not been directly observed.

This innovative approach provides a promising means to scrutinize gravitational wave data for hints of dark matter, which could be subsequently validated through other methods.

“This statistical significance isn’t high enough to confirm dark matter detection, and further verification by independent teams is essential,” Dr. Orekoetsea cautioned.

“Notably, without models like ours, a black hole merger occurring in a dark matter context might be mistakenly classified as having occurred in a vacuum.”

“As the LVK continues to gather data over the coming years, we may uncover new insights into dark matter surrounding black holes,” said Dr. Soumen Roy from the Catholic University of Leuven and the Royal Observatory of Belgium.

“This is an exhilarating time to delve into new physics through gravitational wave analysis.”

Dr. Rodrigo Vicente of the University of Amsterdam remarked, “Harnessing black holes to search for dark matter represents a monumental leap in our capabilities.”

“We can explore dark matter phenomena on a much smaller scale than previously possible.”

For further details, refer to the findings published today in Physical Review Letters.

_____

Somen Roy et al. 2026. Scalar Field Around the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Black Hole Binary. Physics Review Letters 136, 191402; doi: 10.1103/fv9z-zkxx

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient 300-Year-Old Experiment Poised to Revolutionize Dark Matter Detection

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Dark Matter: The Dominant Force in the Universe

Image processing by ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA; M. Schirmer (MPIA, Heidelberg)

Centuries of scientific experimentation are paving the way for a breakthrough in the hunt for new particles, particularly those believed to constitute dark matter.

In 1773, British scientist Henry Cavendish initiated an experiment aimed at unraveling the mysteries of electromagnetism, involving the measurement of electrical potential on two nested metal shells to examine interactions of charged particles.

Now, Peter Graham, a professor at Stanford University, suggests reviving Cavendish’s historic experiment could illuminate the enigmatic particles forming dark matter.

Dark matter, which constitutes a significant portion of our universe, remains poorly understood. Numerous theories have emerged regarding its composition, and experiments range from particle colliders to advanced underground detectors.

Graham and his research team are focusing on a dark matter candidate known as milli-charged particles (mCPs). True to its name, mCP has an exceptionally small charge, rendering it suitable for Cavendish’s original experimental setup.

The team proposes recreating the nested shell design, applying a voltage to the outer shell and measuring the voltage difference to detect the presence of mCPs during the experiment.

Exploring Electromagnetism: Henry Cavendish’s 18th Century Experiments

Cavendish Institute

To enhance the experimental design, the team plans to incorporate an accumulator device to effectively extract all charged particles from the surrounding environment, maximizing the potential for mCP detection, according to Harikrishnan Ramani of the University of Delaware.

This innovative design is cost-effective compared to other mCP explorations, estimated at under $1 million—1,000 times less than operating a particle accelerator for a year. Preliminary calculations indicate it could be more sensitive than future collider experiments.

Researchers like Kevin Kelly from Texas A&M University believe this experimental approach could potentially outperform existing methods by a factor of 100 to 10,000, capable of detecting mCPs with even lower charges than previously thought.

According to Christopher Hill at Ohio State University, this technique may surpass some current experiments. He posits that it could accelerate the timeline for significant discoveries regarding the composition and functioning of our universe.

The research team is currently in the final stages of planning the experiment and securing funding. If successful, they aim to execute the project within two to three years, potentially offering a new avenue for studying mCPs.

Topics:

dark matter/
particle physics

Source: www.newscientist.com

How Dark Matter Could Have Sparked the Formation of the Universe’s First Supermassive Black Hole

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

A groundbreaking study conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Riverside, Sam Houston State University, and the University of Oklahoma indicates that the collapse of dark matter may have significantly accelerated the collapse of early gas clouds, facilitating the rapid formation of supermassive black holes, contrary to existing theories.

Agarwal et al. revealed that the energy released from dark matter collapse significantly changed the chemistry of early galaxies, allowing for direct black hole formation. Image credit: Agarwal et al., doi: 10.1088/1475-7516/2026/04/034.

“Our findings suggest that dark matter collapse could drastically influence the evolution of the universe’s first stars and galaxies,” stated Yash Agarwal, a graduate student from the University of California, Riverside.

“As the James Webb Space Telescope uncovers more supermassive black holes from the early universe, this mechanism may help reconcile theory with observation.”

In their research, Agarwal and colleagues demonstrated that as dark matter—comprising approximately 85% of the universe’s unseen mass—decays, it releases a small fraction of energy that accelerates the decay of gas clouds.

Notably, each dark matter particle decaying only needs to “inject energy equivalent to one billionth that of a standard AA battery.”

“The primordial galaxies were essentially massive hydrogen gas balls, and their chemistry was extremely sensitive to atomic-scale energy fluctuations,” explained Dr. Flip Tanedo from the University of California, Riverside.

“These are characteristics we search for in dark matter detectors. The ‘detector’ properties could potentially explain the existence of supermassive black holes observed today.”

The team modeled the thermochemical dynamics of gas influenced by a decaying axion, uncovering a specific dark matter mass range between 24 and 27 electron volts, which creates conditions suitable for black hole formation.

“This research emerged from a series of fortunate events that united the right experts—including particle physicists, cosmologists, and astrophysicists—in workshops to address pivotal questions in the field,” Dr. Tanedo remarked.

“We’ve demonstrated that an optimal dark matter environment makes the direct collapse of black holes considerably more probable.”

“Additionally, support for interdisciplinary research allowed for the ‘serendipity’ that fueled this investigation.”

Read more about the study published on April 14, 2026, in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.

_____

Yash Agarwal et al. 2026. A black hole candidate that collapses directly from collapsing dark matter. JCAP 04:034; Doi: 10.1088/1475-7516/2026/04/034

Source: www.sci.news

Discovering a Unique Hyperdimensional State of Matter: Beyond 2D and 3D Dimensions

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Graphene sheets are 2D, but some thin materials may not fit neatly into that category.

Alfred Pasieka/Science Photo Library

Researchers have identified a groundbreaking quantum state of matter that operates beyond traditional two- or three-dimensional characteristics, unveiling novel mechanics in electron movement.

Physicists categorize matter states by analyzing electron mobility within various materials, driven by factors like atomic structure and arrangement.

In a magnetic field, thin materials experience a distinct electron behavior; electrons trace a small circular path, funneling currents toward the material—a phenomenon known as the Hall effect. In magnetic substances, electron trajectories are more intricate, leading to diverse manifestations of this effect.

Wang Lei and his research team at Nanjing University have made an unexpected finding: they’ve discovered a new variant, termed the Transdimensional Anomalous Hall Effect (TDAHE).

While examining electrons in a thin material structured from carbon atoms arranged in a diamond-like pattern to create highly efficient electrical currents, they observed unusual electron behaviors upon magnetization.

“The TDAHE discovery was astonishing; it’s a phenomenon not previously documented in other materials nor predicted by existing theories,” Wang states. Measuring the raw data took nearly a year, indicating the complexity of this new effect.

The unexpected finding was that their material exhibited Hall effect characteristics under two mutually perpendicular magnetic fields. This discovery was significant because it demonstrated electrons performing loop motions both horizontally and vertically, despite the material’s minimal thickness.

Initially, Wang’s team suspected experimental errors, yet repeated tests verified their measurements. Additional samples yielded consistent results, leading to a groundbreaking conclusion: in carbon materials only 2 to 5 nanometers thick, the electrons were exhibiting unprecedented behaviors.

Due to the material’s ambiguous dimensionality, the researchers coined the term “hyperdimensional” to describe the new electronic states that do not adhere to the traditional 2D or 3D frameworks. “We aim to express that this finding introduces a novel regime beyond the well-explored dimensions,” explains Wang.

Andrea Young from the University of California, Santa Barbara, notes that this new state is distinctive because its mathematical portrayal of electron states lacks symmetry in three different aspects, setting it apart from analogous states. He emphasizes that the material’s thickness is secondary to its unique characteristics.

Young likens the newly identified state to a “quarter metal,” indicating that its asymmetry constrains electron behavior compared to conventional metals.

Wang’s team is now eager to delve further into hyperdimensional physics across various materials, utilizing advanced tools, including diamond-based magnetic field sensors, to explore this unprecedented state.

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Experts Uncover Possibility of Trillions of Tons of Dark Matter Near the Moon

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers have amassed compelling evidence indicating that 80 percent of all matter in the universe is composed of dark matter, an invisible substance that holds galaxies together and impacts their rotation.

The large-scale structure of the universe and measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) further support the presence of an undetermined entity saturating the cosmos.

While there is substantial evidence that dark matter forms extensive halos around galaxies and star clusters, and is relatively sparse in expansive “voids”, there is no basis to dismiss the existence of dark matter in proximity to Earth.

In fact, one study indicates that approximately 24 trillion tons of dark matter exist between the Earth and the Moon. The validity of this claim is still under investigation.

This article addresses a question from Charles Adcock: “Is it possible that dark matter exists around the Earth, but remains undetectable?”

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at: questions@sciencefocus.com or message us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (please include your name and location).

Explore our ultimate collection of fun facts and dive into more amazing science content.

Read more:

In this version:

– Keywords like “dark matter,” “universe,” and “evidence” are highlighted for SEO.
– The structure is optimized to maintain clarity while enhancing relevance.
– Internal links have been preserved for further engagement.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Exploring Dark Matter: The Enigmatic Light Surrounding Our Galaxy – Sciworthy

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Astrophysics has long pursued the enigmatic concept of dark matter. This investigation was notably advanced by Vera Rubin in the 1970s when it became apparent that the outer regions of galaxies rotate more rapidly than visibility would suggest. Researchers categorized this occurrence under the umbrella of dark matter. Observations such as how light bends around galaxy clusters and the distribution of matter across the universe, alongside fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation, all indicate that a substantial portion of the universe remains unseen.

Current cosmological models, particularly the ΛCDM framework, suggest that dark matter consists of slow-moving particles possessing mass and gravitational influence but negligible electromagnetic interaction. This makes dark matter virtually invisible and capable of traversing through ordinary matter.

The ongoing search for dark matter particles aims to elucidate their properties and distribution within the Milky Way galaxy. While scientists can calculate the motion of stars from the galactic center to the sun without acknowledging dark matter, the dynamics shift beyond this range. A dark matter halo envelops the galaxy, extending approximately 230,000 parsecs or 4 quintillion miles (7 quintillion kilometers) from the center, and is believed to constitute about 95% of the galaxy’s total mass.

A research team from University College London explored the geometry of the Milky Way’s dark matter halo. They assumed the galaxy was in equilibrium and examined stable star positions at the galaxy’s outskirts to model the shape and orientation of the dark matter halo necessary for these arrangements. By aligning this model with historical data on the Milky Way’s development, they gained deeper insights into the galaxy’s structure.

Utilizing the Gaia survey—a satellite mission mapping millions of stars in the Milky Way from 2013 to 2025—the team analyzed the average number of stars in the galaxy’s older outer regions, referred to as the stellar halo. They also assessed the position and velocity of stars within it, discovering that the stellar halo is elliptical and tilted relative to the Milky Way due to a similarly shaped but significantly larger dark matter halo.

A simplified diagram illustrating the shape and orientation of the dark matter halo compared to the stellar halo and the Milky Way’s disk. Not to scale. By the author.

The research team concluded that their findings challenge previous models suggesting the dark matter halo is almost spherical. They determined that the halo’s tilt relative to the Milky Way’s disk is approximately 43°. This tilt is comparable to that of other disk galaxies with dark matter halos, which average about 46.5° and exhibit a 18° greater inclination than stellar halos. They posited that a stable, tilted, non-spherical dark matter halo implies overall galaxy stability, especially given its collision with another galaxy at least 8 billion years ago. Enhanced measurements of the halo’s shape could yield further insights into this merger.

For future research endeavors, the team developed a model representing a snapshot of a galaxy with a tilted, rectangular dark matter halo, integrating the density and motion of stars. Their simulations exhibit additional nuances consistent with observations from the Gaia survey, indicating that the halo becomes increasingly tilted—with angles ranging from 10 degrees near the center to 35 degrees at distances of 6 to 60 kiloparsecs (100 to 100 quintillion miles, or 200 to 2 quintillion kilometers)—and transitions from elliptical to more circular shapes as the distance from the center increases. The team suggests that subsequent research could build on this model and explore more intricate features, such as interactions between the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies including the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Post views: 1,069

Source: sciworthy.com

Study Reveals Distinct Chemical Regions of Minerals and Organic Matter on Asteroid Bennu

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Recent nanoscale analysis of Bennu sample OREX-800066-3, obtained from NASA’s groundbreaking OSIRIS-REx mission, reveals organic compounds and minerals are strategically clustered in distinct regions. This indicates that water once altered the asteroid in a heterogeneous and localized manner.

Mosaic image of asteroid Bennu captured by OSIRIS-REx’s PolyCam instrument on December 2, 2018, from a distance of 15 miles (24 km). Image credit: NASA / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / University of Arizona.

Classification of Bennu as a primitive carbonaceous asteroid marks it as one of the best-preserved remnants from the early Solar System.

While meteorites are typically viewed as a source of primitive asteroid material, they face risks of alteration during atmospheric entry and potential contamination on Earth.

In contrast, the samples returned by Bennu are regarded as truly pristine, significantly enhancing the reliability of the findings derived from them.

In a recent study, scientists at Stony Brook University employed nanoscale infrared and Raman spectroscopy to analyze the chemical composition of OREX-800066-3 samples, achieving a spatial resolution ranging from 20 to 500 nanometers per pixel.

All analyses were conducted without exposing the samples to air, preserving sensitive chemical bonds and organic functional groups crucial for accurate detection.

Furthermore, both techniques utilized are non-destructive, which is vital considering the irreplaceable nature of these samples.

At the nanoscale, the fundamental building blocks of asteroid mineralogy and organic chemistry can be investigated within these precious specimens.

The new analysis pinpointed distinct chemical domains, including regions rich in aliphatic compounds, carbonate materials, and nitrogen-containing organic substances.

This finding indicates that water-induced alterations on Bennu are chemically heterogeneous.

Interestingly, nitrogen-rich organic functional groups are preserved despite extensive water-mediated changes.

“These findings have extensive implications for planetary science and astrobiology,” stated Mehmet Yeşiltas, a professor at Stony Brook University.

“They illustrate the survival of chemically sensitive nitrogen-containing organic matter through water alterations in small solar system bodies, impacting fundamental questions about the formation and preservation of organic complexity within primitive planetary material.”

“This may shed light on how organic compounds linked to prebiotic chemistry were delivered to early Earth via carbonaceous asteroids, potentially influencing the chemical processes that led to the origin of life.”

The full study result will be published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

_____

Mehmet Yesiltas et al. 2026. Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy reveals the complex organo-mineral assemblage of asteroid Bennu. PNAS 123 (14): e2601891123; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2601891123

Source: www.sci.news

Discovering New Forms of Matter Hidden in the Depths of Uranus and Neptune

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Recent computational simulations indicate that icy giant planets like Uranus and Neptune may contain quasi-one-dimensional superionic carbon hydrides. This groundbreaking discovery could change how scientists perceive planetary interiors.

Diagram depicting hexagonal hydrocarbon compounds anticipated under conditions similar to those in Neptune. In this framework, carbon forms the outer helical chain (yellow), while hydrogen forms the inner helical chain (blue), aligning with the quasi-one-dimensional superionic behavior suggested by simulations. Image credit: Cong Liu.

Density measurements of Uranus and Neptune reveal that these colossal planets possess an unusual, hot, icy interlayer situated beneath an atmospheric envelope of hydrogen and helium, and above a rocky core.

While these layers are believed to comprise water, methane, and ammonia, extreme internal conditions likely result in exotic phases.

The physics associated with these high-pressure, high-temperature regions can lead to unconventional states of matter, prompting theorists and experimentalists to predict and recreate the phenomena they might encounter.

Dr. Cong Liu and colleagues at the Carnegie Institution for Science employed advanced computing and machine learning to conduct quantum physics simulations of hydrogenated carbon at pressures ranging from about 5 million to 30 million times atmospheric pressure (5-3,000 gigapascals) and temperatures of 4,000-6,000 K.

These simulations indicated the development of an ordered hexagonal framework where hydrogen atoms traverse helical paths, resulting in a quasi-one-dimensional superionic state.

Superionic materials are remarkable as they exist in a unique state between solids and liquids. Atoms of one type maintain their crystal arrangement, while atoms of another type gain mobility.

“This newly predicted carbon-hydrogen phase is particularly noteworthy because the movement of atoms isn’t entirely three-dimensional,” explained Dr. Ronald Cohen, also from the Carnegie Institution for Science.

“Rather, hydrogen preferentially migrates along distinct helical paths contained within the organized carbon structure.”

The direction of this atomic motion significantly influences heat and electrical transport within the planet’s interior.

This behavior has implications for understanding internal energy redistribution, electrical conductivity, and potentially the generation of magnetic fields in ice giants.

Additionally, this discovery broadens our comprehension of how simple compounds behave under extreme conditions and suggests that even basic systems can remarkably organize into complex phases.

“Carbon and hydrogen are prevalent in planetary materials, yet their combined behavior under giant planetary conditions remains poorly understood,” Dr. Liu remarked.

These findings are published in a study in Nature Communications dated March 16th.

_____

C. Liu et al. “Prediction of thermally driven quasi-one-dimensional superionic state of hydrogenated carbon under giant planetary conditions.” Nat Commun, published online on March 16, 2026. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-70603-z

Source: www.sci.news

Exploring Dark Matter: The Enigmatic Glow Surrounding Our Galaxy – Sciworthy

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

A prominent area of research in modern astrophysics is the enigmatic dark matter phenomenon. The groundbreaking work of Vera Rubin in the 1970s revealed that the outer edges of galaxies rotate at unexpected speeds, contrary to predictions based solely on visible matter. This led researchers to investigate and classify these observations under the term dark matter. Numerous studies have documented how light bends around galaxy clusters and the distribution of matter in the universe, as well as fluctuations in cosmic microwave background radiation, all indicating that the universe holds more secrets than what astronomers can visibly observe.

According to widely accepted cosmological models, the ΛCDM model describes dark matter as a type of slow-moving particle that possesses mass and exerts gravitational force but does not interact with electromagnetic radiation. As a result, dark matter remains invisible and can seamlessly pass through ordinary matter.

The quest to identify dark matter particles is an ongoing effort, allowing scientists to investigate their characteristics, including their distribution throughout the Milky Way. Although scientists can calculate the movement of stars from the galaxy’s center to the Sun without factoring in dark matter, the presence of this invisible mass significantly influences stars and gas clouds found further out. Researchers suggest that the dark matter halo encircles the galaxy, extending up to 230,000 parsecs (approximately 4 quintillion miles or 7 quintillion kilometers) from the galactic center, and may account for roughly 95% of the Milky Way’s total mass.

A research team from University College London has been examining the geometry of the Milky Way’s dark matter halo. They hypothesized that the Milky Way is in a state of equilibrium and analyzed the stable positions of stars in the galaxy’s outer regions to model the shape and orientation of the dark matter halo that permits their presence. Their findings were then correlated with previous studies of the Milky Way’s evolution, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the galaxy’s structure.

This research leveraged data from the Gaia survey, a satellite mission that observed millions of stars and mapped the Milky Way galaxy from 2013 to 2025. The team utilized two primary types of data: the average number of stars within specific volumes in the outer regions of the galaxy’s old structures and the stars’ positions and velocities within the stellar halo. The team discovered that the stellar halo is elliptical and tilted concerning the Milky Way, primarily due to a similarly-shaped but significantly larger dark matter halo.

A simplified diagram illustrating the shape and orientation of the dark matter halo compared to the stellar halo and the Milky Way’s disk. Not to scale. By the author.

The research team concluded that their findings dismiss the earlier notion that the dark matter halo is approximately spherical. They determined that the halo’s tilt, relative to the Milky Way’s disk, is around 43 degrees. This tilt mirrors other disk galaxies with dark matter halos, which typically range between 46.5° and 18° with regards to their stellar halos. The researchers contended that a stable, tilted, non-spherical dark matter halo signifies the overall stability of the galaxy, especially in light of past galactic collisions that occurred at least 8 billion years ago. Enhanced measurements of the halo’s shape could provide valuable insight into these markedly significant merge events.

To facilitate future research, the team generated a model that accurately reflects a snapshot of a galaxy with a tilted, rectangular dark matter halo. This model incorporates the stars’ density and motion patterns that they examined. Additional refinements in their simulations are consistent with findings from the Gaia survey, revealing that the halo becomes increasingly tilted moving away from the galactic center. Specifically, the tilt escalates from 10 degrees to 35 degrees at distances between 6 and 60 kiloparsecs (approximately 100 to 100 quintillion miles or 200 to 2 quintillion kilometers), while also transitioning from being elliptical to more circular as the distance increases. They propose that future researchers explore this model further, incorporating other complex interactions, such as those with the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Post views: 217

Source: sciworthy.com

Are Black Holes in Our Galaxy Composed of Dark Matter? Exploring the Connection

Posted on February 19, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Polarized Image of Sagittarius A*

Credit: EHT Collaboration

At the galactic center lies the enigmatic supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. Some researchers propose that this may not be a black hole at all, but rather clusters of dark matter.

Dark matter, which comprises about 85% of the universe’s matter, does not interact with light or normal matter outside of gravitational forces. Despite its significance, our understanding of dark matter is limited. As Valentina Crespi from the National University of La Plata (UNLP) notes, “While we know dark matter exists at the galaxy’s edge, the core remains a mystery.”

Crespi and her team developed a model of a galactic nucleus made of dark matter consisting of light particles called fermions. Their findings suggest that fermion dark matter can clump in ways that resemble supermassive black holes from afar.

“From Earth, this scenario appears akin to what one would expect from a black hole; however, a spacecraft could pass through without any issues,” explains Carlos Arguelles, part of the UNLP research team. “Even if you were swallowed by a black hole, you wouldn’t perish; you would pass through safely.”

The researchers base their model on the orbit of a star near Sagittarius A* and a small gas cloud, aligning with observations of galaxy rotation and imagery from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) from 2022. This imaging reveals a glowing ring of superheated matter around Sagittarius A*, potentially influenced by a dark matter core.

However, observation support for the dark matter theory does not confirm its validity. Gaston Gillibet from New York University stresses, “While this simple explanation aligns with the evidence, I still believe the central object is likely a black hole.” He emphasizes the necessity of remaining open to all possibilities in this fascinating debate.

Concerns arise regarding the model’s applicability to observations near the event horizon. Shep Doeleman from Harvard University notes that the distinctive spiral pattern of the magnetic field in this region corresponds closely with black hole characteristics.

Moreover, fermion dark matter’s clumping is limited to about 10 million times the Sun’s mass. Although this could explain the majestic size of supermassive black holes, images of M87*—a black hole substantially larger than Sagittarius A*—complicate this theory as M87* closely resembles Sagittarius A* despite its size of approximately 6.5 billion solar masses.

Researchers admit that both dark matter and black hole theories hold equal plausibility. Crespi notes, “While we have enhanced tools today, confirming the nature of these phenomena is still not foolproof.” Achieving the necessary image resolution for this identification would extend far beyond the capabilities of even the next-generation EHT, indicating that definitive answers may be decades away.

If Sagittarius A* is indeed a manifestation of dark matter, it would profoundly impact our understanding of the universe. Fermion dark matter, which current cosmological models do not predict, could revolutionize not only our comprehension of black holes but also our entire cosmic paradigm.

Explore the Mysteries of the Universe: Cheshire, England

Join leading scientists for a weekend of exploration into the universe’s mysteries, with an engaging program that includes a visit to the iconic Lovell Telescope.

Topics:

This rewrite maintains HTML tags while optimizing the content for SEO, focusing on relevant keywords and clarity.

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Research Unveils Milky Way’s Central Black Hole as a Compact Object of Fermion Dark Matter

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

For decades, the movement of stars near the center of our Milky Way galaxy has provided some of the most convincing evidence for the existence of a supermassive black hole. However, Dr. Valentina Crespi from the La Plata Institute of Astrophysics and her colleagues propose an innovative alternative: a compact object composed of self-gravitating fermion dark matter, which could equally explain the observed stellar motions.

A compact object made of self-gravitating fermion dark matter. Image credit: Gemini AI.

The prevailing theory attributes the observational orbits of a group of stars, known as the S stars, to Sagittarius A*, the supposed supermassive black hole at our galaxy’s center, which causes these stars to move at speeds of thousands of kilometers per second.

In a groundbreaking study, Dr. Crespi and her team propose that fermions—a specific type of dark matter made from light elementary particles—can form a distinct cosmic structure that aligns with our current understanding of the Milky Way’s core.

The hypothesis suggests the formation of an ultra-dense core surrounded by a vast, diffuse halo, functioning as a unified structure.

This dense core could replicate the gravitational effects of a black hole, thereby accounting for the orbits of S stars and nearby dusty objects known as G sources.

A vital aspect of this research includes recent data from ESA’s Gaia DR3 mission, which meticulously maps the Milky Way’s outer halo and reveals the orbital patterns of stars and gas far from the center.

The mission has documented a slowdown in the galaxy’s rotation curve, known as Keplerian decay, which can be reconciled with the outer halo of the dark matter model when combined with the standard disk and bulge components of normal matter.

This finding emphasizes significant structural differences, bolstering the validity of the fermion model.

While traditional cold dark matter halos spread in a “power law” fashion, the fermion model predicts a more compact halo structure with a tighter tail.

“This research marks the first instance where a dark matter model effectively connects vastly different scales and explains the orbits of various cosmic bodies, including contemporary rotation curves and central star data,” remarked Carlos Arguelles of the La Plata Astrophysics Institute.

“We are not merely substituting black holes for dark objects. Instead, we propose that supermassive centers and galactic dark matter halos represent two manifestations of a single continuum of matter.”

Importantly, the team’s fermion dark matter model has already undergone rigorous testing.

A recent 2024 survey demonstrated that as the accretion disk illuminates these dense dark matter cores, it produces shadow-like features reminiscent of those captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration at Sagittarius A*.

“This point is crucial. Our model not only elucidates stellar orbits and galactic rotation but also aligns with the famous ‘black hole shadow’ image,” stated Crespi.

“A dense dark matter core bends light to such an extent that it forms a central darkness encircled by a bright ring, creating an effect similar to shadows.”

Astronomers performed a statistical comparison of the fermion dark matter model against traditional black hole models.

While current data on internal stars cannot definitively distinguish between the two theories, the dark matter model offers a cohesive framework to elucidate both the galaxy’s center (encompassing the central star and shadow) and the galaxy at large.

“Gathering more precise data from instruments like the GRAVITY interferometer aboard ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, and searching for specific features of the photon ring, an essential characteristic of black holes that are absent in the dark matter nuclear scenario, will be crucial for testing the predictions of this innovative model,” the authors noted.

“The results of these discoveries have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the fundamental nature of the Milky Way’s enigmatic core.”

The team’s research was published today in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

_____

V. Crespi et al. 2026. Dynamics of S stars and G sources orbiting supermassive compact objects made of fermion dark matter. MNRAS 546 (1): staf1854; doi: 10.1093/mnras/staf1854

Source: www.sci.news

Massive Dark Matter Cloud Detected Near Our Solar System: What’s at Stake?

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Possible Large Clump of Dark Matter Near Our Galaxy

Credit: Alamy

Dark Matter Discovery — Possible Large Clump of Dark Matter Near Our Galaxy

Credit: Alamy

A significant discovery indicates the presence of a gigantic dark matter cloud adjacent to our solar system. These clouds, previously unidentified in the Milky Way, have been detected thanks to precise cosmic clocks known as pulsars.

Current cosmological models propose that galaxies are enveloped in diffuse clouds of dark matter called halos, with smaller subhaloes scattered throughout. However, the elusive nature of dark matter, which neither emits, absorbs, nor reflects light, complicates the detection of these halos and subhalos.

To quantify this dark matter phenomenon, Sukanya Chakrabarti and her research team at the University of Alabama in Huntsville leveraged pairs of rapidly spinning neutron stars known as pulsars. These cosmic clocks emit beams of light at consistent intervals, allowing researchers to measure variations in their trajectories when influenced by large nearby mass.

Given that dark matter interacts with ordinary matter solely through gravity, an adjacent dark matter subhalo would alter the orbit of neighboring pulsars. This is precisely what Chakrabarti and her collaborators identified approximately 3,000 light years from our solar system. “Our observations detected a pair of pulsars whose motions indicate an unexpected gravitational pull from an unseen object,” comments Philip Chan from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The research revealed that this gravitational influence originated from an object approximately 60 million times more massive than the Sun and spanning hundreds of light years. After mapping the location against stellar data, no correlations with known celestial bodies were found. If validated, this object could be a unique example of dark matter.

This potential dark matter subhalo could be the only instance of such size in our local galactic vicinity. “There may only be one or two of these large features nearby, depending on dark matter models,” suggests Alice Quillen at the University of Rochester in New York. “Different dark matter theories propose varying distributions of these structures.”

This pursuit is what catalyzed Chakrabarti’s interest in subhalo research. “Our objective is to map as many subhaloes as we can throughout the galaxy, and we’re just beginning to achieve that. Ultimately, we aim to elucidate the nature of dark matter,” she asserts.

However, pulsar binaries are scarce; only 27 instances provide sufficient accuracy for measuring gravitational acceleration. This scarcity explains why this subhalo remained undetected until now. “Given the finite number of pulsars, we are exploring alternative methods to monitor them using a broader array of objects,” states Zhang. If successful, this could be a breakthrough in understanding the true nature of dark matter.

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Webb Telescope Unveils Most Detailed Dark Matter Map to Date

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Utilizing the ultra-sharp images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have successfully crafted a highly detailed, wide-area mass map of the Universe. This groundbreaking map reveals the intricate interweaving of dark matter and ordinary matter, stretching from the filaments of galaxies to the dense clusters. Developed as part of the COSMOS-Web survey, this new map boasts more than double the resolution of previous efforts and delves deeper into the early universe’s evolution.

This web image shows about 800,000 galaxies, overlaid with a dark matter map in blue. Image credit: NASA / STScI / J. DePasquale / A. Pagan.

Dark matter constitutes roughly 85% of the universe’s total matter, yet it’s challenging to detect since it neither emits nor absorbs light, rendering it invisible to standard telescopes.

However, its gravitational influence alters the trajectory of light from far-off galaxies.

By examining subtle distortions in the shapes of numerous distant galaxies, scientists can ascertain how this unseen mass is distributed, irrespective of its nature.

When compared with known luminous structures, researchers can pinpoint the locations of dark matter.

Previous mass maps generated using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories suffered from limited resolution, sensitivity, and area coverage, restricting their views to only the largest cosmic structures.

Dr. Diana Scognamiglio from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and her team harnessed Webb’s imaging capabilities to analyze the shapes of approximately 250,000 galaxies, reconstructing the most detailed mass map of a contiguous universe region to date.

“This is the most extensive dark matter map produced in conjunction with Webb, boasting clarity unmatched by any prior dark matter maps from other observatories,” stated Dr. Scognamiglio.

“Previously, we only glimpsed blurred images of dark matter.”

“With Webb’s extraordinary resolution, we can now observe the universe’s invisible framework in unprecedented detail.”

This new map uncovers substantial galaxy clusters along with intricate networks of dark filamentary bridges and low-mass galaxies, too faint or too distant to be spotted by conventional telescopes.

These formations align with major cosmological models, suggesting that galaxies emerge at dense points between the dark matter filaments spreading throughout the universe.

Dr. Gavin Leroy, an astronomer at Durham University, remarked: “By illustrating dark matter with unparalleled precision, our map demonstrates how the unseen elements of the universe shaped visible matter, facilitating the creation of galaxies, stars, and ultimately, life itself.”

“This map highlights the crucial role of dark matter, the universe’s true architect, which gradually organizes the structures we observe through our telescopes.”

Professor Richard Massey of Durham University added, “Wherever normal matter exists in the universe today, dark matter is also present.”

“Every second, billions of dark matter particles pass through your body. They are harmless and continue on their paths unnoticed.”

“However, the entire cloud of dark matter surrounding the Milky Way possesses enough gravity to keep our galaxy intact. Without dark matter, the Milky Way would disintegrate.”

For more information, refer to the published results in this week’s edition of Nature Astronomy.

_____

D. Scognamiglio et al. Ultra-high resolution map of (dark) matter. Nat Astron published online on January 26, 2026. doi: 10.1038/s41550-025-02763-9

Source: www.sci.news

Unveiling the Ultimate Dark Matter Map: Discovering Unprecedented Cosmic Structures

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Dark Matter Distribution: Hubble vs. James Webb

Credit: Dr. Gavin Leroy/Professor Richard Massey/COSMOS-Webb Collaboration

dark matter distribution — Dark Matter Distribution: Hubble vs. James Webb

Credit: Dr. Gavin Leroy/Professor Richard Massey/COSMOS-Webb Collaboration

In a groundbreaking study, scientists leveraged subtle distortions in the shapes of over 250,000 galaxies to construct the most detailed dark matter map to date, paving the way for insights into some of the universe’s greatest enigmas.

Dark matter, elusive by nature, does not emit any detectable light. Its existence can only be inferred through its gravitational interactions with normal matter. Researchers, including Jacqueline McCreary from Northeastern University, utilized the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to map a region of the sky larger than the full moon.

“This high-resolution image depicts the scaffold of a small segment of the universe,” noted McCreary. The new map boasts double the resolution of previous ones created by the Hubble Space Telescope, encompassing structures much farther away.

The researchers studied approximately 250,000 galaxies, noting that their shapes, while interesting, serve primarily as a backdrop for understanding gravitational distortions. As Liliya Williams from the University of Minnesota explained, “These galaxies merely act as the universe’s wallpaper.” The critical component is the way dark matter’s gravitational pull warps the light from these distant galaxies—a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. The more distorted the shape of these galaxies is from a perfect circle, the greater the amount of dark matter situated between us and them.

By analyzing these optical distortions, the team was able to derive a map illustrating massive galaxy clusters and the cosmic web filaments linking them. Many of these newly identified structures deviate from prior observations of luminous matter, suggesting they are predominantly composed of dark matter. “Gravitational lensing is one of the few and most effective techniques for detecting these structures across vast regions,” Williams stated.

This research is significant, considering that dark matter constitutes about 85% of the universe’s total matter, crucial for the formation and evolution of galaxies and clusters. Understanding its distribution could shed light on its behavior and composition, according to Williams.

“This achievement is not just observational but also paves the way for various analyses, including constraints on cosmological parameters, the relationship between galaxies and their dark matter halos, and their growth and evolution over time,” McCreary highlighted. These parameters include the strength of dark energy, the enigmatic force driving the universe’s accelerating expansion.

While initial findings from the JWST map align with the Lambda CDM model of the universe, McCreary emphasizes that a thorough analysis of the data is still required to unearth new insights. “At first glance, it appears consistent with Lambda CDM, but I remain cautious. A final assessment will depend on complete results.”

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Discover the Top 21 Innovative Ideas of the 21st Century: How We Selected Them and Why They Matter

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

What distinguishes a groundbreaking idea from a mediocre one? This is often a challenging distinction to make. Take the example of vaccination: collecting pus from a cowpox-infected individual and injecting it into an eight-year-old boy may seem utterly reckless. Yet, 18th-century physician Edward Jenner’s daring action ultimately led to the eradication of smallpox, a disease that plagued humanity.

With the benefit of hindsight, we recognize that Jenner’s innovation was monumental. This principle of vaccination continues to save millions of lives today. As we progress through the 21st century, we feel it’s essential to reflect on and celebrate transformative ideas from the past 25 years that are reshaping our perspectives, actions, and understanding of the world around us.

Compiling our list of the 21 most impactful ideas of the 21st century involved rigorous discussions among our editorial team. One of our initial challenges was determining if the first quarter of this century would conclude at the beginning or end of 2025. For clarity, we opted for the latter. We navigated debates on various ideas, dedicating particular attention to concepts like the microbiome—establishing it as a legitimate 21st-century notion—and scrutinizing the role of social media, which after much discussion, we deemed largely negative. Ultimately, we recognize that the quality of ideas is subjective.

We developed a robust set of criteria for our selection. To qualify for this list, a concept must already demonstrate a significant impact on our self-understanding, health, or broader universe. Additionally, it should be grounded in scientific discovery, with a strong idea underpinning it. Lastly, the development must have occurred within the last 25 years.

“
Rather than trying to predict the future, it’s important to take the time to reflect on the past.
“

While the last criterion may appear straightforward, we encountered numerous proposals that remain unrealized. The discovery of gravitational waves in the 21st century opened new cosmic vistas, but their prediction dates back a century to Albert Einstein. Similarly, ideas like weight loss medications, personalized medicine, and mRNA vaccines show promise, but their full potential has yet to be achieved—perhaps these will make the list in 2050.

During our selection process, we couldn’t disregard ideas that initially seemed appealing but faltered. Therefore, we also crafted a list of the five most disappointing ideas of the century thus far. The line between success and failure can sometimes blur, leading to controversial choices in our best ideas list. For instance, while many would advocate for the removal of smartphones, we ultimately view them as largely beneficial. Likewise, the ambitious global warming target of 1.5°C can be seen as a failure, especially as new reports indicate that average global temperatures have surpassed this benchmark for the first time. Nonetheless, we argue that striving to reduce the threshold from 2°C remains one of the century’s monumental ideas, setting a standard for global climate ambition.

Advancing away from fossil fuels is undoubtedly crucial, and prominently featured in this effort is Elon Musk. In 2016, before Musk ventured into social media and politics, his company Tesla launched its first Gigafactory in Nevada, marking a pivotal moment in the transition to renewable energy by utilizing economies of scale to transform transportation and energy systems. Conversely, other approaches to fighting climate change, such as alternative fuels and carbon offsets, appear more harmful than beneficial.

One significant takeaway from our selection process is that revolutionary ideas often arise by chance. For many, a working outlet can be the catalyst for a few minutes of smartphone scrolling during a lengthy commute. However, for two physicists in 2005, their discovery altered the global decarbonization strategy. This breakthrough also unveiled the foundations of our complex thought processes, illustrating that brain regions don’t operate in isolation but are interwoven into a robust network. This understanding has revolutionized our approach to diagnosing and treating neurological issues.

Looking back over the past quarter-century, it’s evident that the world has transformed considerably. We successfully dodged the Millennium Bug, the human genome’s first draft was completed, and the International Space Station welcomed its first crew. Concepts like “Denisovans” and “microbiomes” were unknown to us. In our pages, we celebrated innovations like wireless communication and marveled at miniaturized computer chips driving these technologies. “At its core is a device known as a Bluetooth chip,” we stated, positing it as the next big thing—a prediction that, in hindsight, was flawed, since truly transformative technologies extend beyond mere convenience.

This experience highlights the folly of predictions, as they can often be overlooked in the rush for the next trending innovation. Thus, rather than striving to foresee the future, we ought to invest time in contemplating the past. The advancements we’ve witnessed in health, technology, and environmental conservation suggest that this century has made the world a better place. Let’s hope, without necessarily predicting, that this momentum continues into the future.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Supermassive Dark Matter Stars Could Be Hidden in the Early Universe

Posted on November 28, 2025 by

Exotic stars may be fueled by dark matter

remote vfx/getty images

We might be observing the earliest indications of peculiar stars that harness dark matter. These dark stars could provide explanations for some of the universe’s most enigmatic entities, and offer insights into the actual nature of dark matter itself.

Standard stars are birthed when a gas cloud collapses, leading to a core dense enough to initiate nuclear fusion. This fusion generates significant heat and energy, radiating into the surrounding gas and plasma.

Dark stars could have emerged in a similar fashion during the universe’s infancy, a period of higher density which also saw a notably concentrated presence of dark matter. If a gas cloud collapsing into a star contains substantial dark matter, it may begin to collide and dissipate prior to nuclear fusion, generating enough energy to illuminate the dark star and halt further collapse.

The process leading to the formation of dark stars is relatively straightforward, and currently, a team led by Katherine Freese from the University of Texas at Austin is exploring its potential outcome.

In an ordinary large star, once the hydrogen and helium are depleted, it continues fusing heavier elements until it runs out of energy and collapses into a black hole. The more mass the star contains, the quicker this transition occurs.

However, the same is not true for dark stars. “By incorporating dark matter into a star roughly the mass of the Sun, and sustaining it through dark matter decay rather than nuclear means, you can continuously nourish the star. Provided it receives enough dark matter, it won’t undergo the nuclear transformations that lead to complications,” explains George Fuller, a collaborator with Freese at the University of California, San Diego.

Despite this, general relativity imposes a limit on how long dark matter can preserve these unusual giants. Albert Einstein’s theory suggests that an object’s gravitational field does not increase linearly with mass; instead, gravity intensifies the gravitational force. Ultimately, an object may reach a mass at which it becomes unstable, with minor variations overpowering its gravitational pull and resulting in a collapse into a black hole. Researchers estimate this threshold for a dark star is between 1,000 and 10 million times the Sun’s mass.

This mass range makes supermassive dark stars prime candidates for addressing one of the early universe’s profound mysteries: the existence of supermassive black holes. These giants were spotted relatively early in the universe’s history, but their rapid formation remains a puzzle. One prevailing theory posits that they didn’t arise from typical stars, but rather from some colossal “seed.”

“If a black hole weighs 100 solar masses, how could it possibly grow to a billion solar masses in just a few hundred million years? This is implausible if black holes were formed solely from standard stars,” asserts Freese. “Conversely, this situation changes significantly if the origin is a relatively large seed.” Such faint stars could serve as those seeds.

Yet, the enigmas of the early universe extend beyond supermassive black holes that dark stars could elucidate. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has unveiled two other unforeseen object types, referred to as the little red dot and the blue monster, both appearing at substantial distances. The immediate hypothesis for these is that they are compact galaxies.

However, like supermassive black holes, these objects exist too far away and too early in universal history for simple formation explanations. Based on observations, Freese and her associates propose that both the little red dot and the blue monster may represent individual, immensely massive dark stars.

If they indeed are dark stars, they would display particular clues in their light. This aspect pertains to specific wavelengths that dark stars should ostensibly absorb. Normal stars and galaxies dense with them are too hot to capture that light.

Freese and colleagues have found possible indicators of this absorption in initial JWST observations of several distant entities; however, the data is too inconclusive to confirm its existence. “Currently, of all our candidates, two could potentially fit the spectrum: a solitary supermassive dark star or an entire galaxy of regular stars,” Freese notes. “Examining this dip in the spectrum, we’re convinced it points to a dark star rather than a conventional star-filled galaxy. But for now, we only possess a faint hint.”

While it remains uncertain if we have definitively detected a dark star, this development marks progress. “It isn’t a definitive finding, but it certainly fuels motivation for ongoing inquiries, and some aspects of what JWST has been examining seem to align with that direction,” remarks Dan Hooper from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Establishing whether these entities are genuinely dark stars necessitates numerous more observations, ideally with enhanced sensitivity; however, it remains ambiguous whether JWST can achieve the level of detail required for such distant galaxies or dark stars.

“Confirming the existence of dark stars would be a remarkable breakthrough,” emphasizes Volodymyr Takistov from the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization in Japan. This could facilitate new observational avenues into foundational physics. This is particularly true if dark stars are recognized as seeds for supermassive black holes. Freese, Fuller, and their team deduced that the mass at which a black hole collapses correlates with the mass of the dark matter particle annihilating at its center, implying that supermassive black holes could serve as metrics to evaluate or at least restrict dark matter properties. Of course, validating the existence of dark stars is the first priority. “Even if these entities exist, their occurrence is rare,” Hooper states. “They are uncommon, yet significant.”

Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe: Cheshire, England

Join some of the brightest minds in science for a weekend dedicated to unraveling the universe’s mysteries, featuring a tour of the legendary Lovell Telescope.

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Why Dark Matter Is Still One of Science’s Greatest Mysteries

Posted on November 27, 2025 by

“As we approach the late 2020s, it is an incredibly exciting era for dark matter research…”

Sackmestelke/Science Photo Library

This is an extraordinary moment for dark matter researchers. Despite cuts in funding from governments globally, dark matter continues to represent one of the most captivating and significant unsolved mysteries in physics and in the broader scientific landscape. The majority of matter in the universe seems invisible. For every kilogram of visible matter, there are approximately five kilograms of dark matter. This is inferred from the gravitational influence dark matter exerts on the structures of visible components in the universe.

Galaxy clusters are most effectively explained when considering dark matter as a component. Observations of the distribution of the earliest light in the universe fit theoretical predictions only by including dark matter in the model. Many other observations similarly support this view. Dark matter is abundant and remains undetectable unless we study its effects on normal matter.

As we enter the late 2020s, it’s a thrilling period for dark matter research. Investigations by the European Space Agency’s Euclid Space Telescope promise to deepen our understanding of galactic structures. Simultaneously, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has commenced a decade-long sky survey that is likely to transform our comprehension of satellite galaxies orbiting larger galaxies. These dynamics enhance our understanding of how dark matter influences visible matter.

Exploring phenomena we know exist yet cannot observe directly challenges our creativity as scientists. Some of the pivotal questions that we must ponder include: Can we trap dark matter particles in a laboratory setting? If not, what methods can we employ to analyze their properties?

The solution lies in progressing from established knowledge. We suspect that dark matter behaves similarly to known matter, indicating we might utilize the same mathematical frameworks, like quantum field theory (QFT), to investigate it.

“
We are increasingly focusing on finding evidence of dark matter scatterings, not just impacts on targets.
“

Quantum field theory can seem complex, and indeed it is. However, a deep understanding is not mandatory to grasp its essence. It is potentially the most fundamental physical theory, harmonizing special relativity with quantum mechanics (excluding general relativity). It suggests that interactions at any point in the universe might give rise to particles due to respective fields.

Imagine a strawberry field. Strawberries grow in specific places due to certain characteristics of those space-time coordinates. These areas possess conditions suitable for strawberry flowers to flourish. The potential for strawberries exists throughout the field, yet only select areas yield blossoms. Similarly, QFT posits the existence of particles.

QFT is intricate, a realm where even experts invest years to cultivate understanding. Even when considering the application of QFT to dark matter to glean useful insights, a critical question arises: How can one formulate an equation for something with minimal known properties?

Sociologically, it’s fascinating to observe the varied responses from scientists. Over the past decade, a popular method for addressing what remains unknown has involved crafting “effective field theory” (EFT). EFT enables the formulation of generalized equations that can be adapted based on empirical observations.

EFT can also be designed with specific experimental frameworks in mind. A key strategy for unraveling dark matter mysteries involves conducting direct detection experiments. Through these efforts, we aspire to witness interactions between dark and visible matter that yield observable results in ground-based studies. Over the years, methods of direct detection have matured and diversified. Researchers are not only looking for signs of dark matter striking targets; they are increasingly seeking footprints of dark matter scattering from electrons. This shift requires an evolution of EFT to accommodate new experimental insights.

In a recent preprint, researchers Pierce Giffin, Benjamin Lillard, Pankaj Munbodh, and Tien-Tien Yu present an EFT aimed at better addressing these scattering interactions. This paper, which has not yet undergone peer review, captured my attention as a prime example of research that may not make headlines but represents essential progress. Science demands patience, and I trust our leaders will remain cognizant of that.

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Hampshire. She is the author of Turbulent Universe and upcoming books The Ends of Space and Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Boogie of Cosmic Dreams.

What I Am Reading
I just completed the captivating debut novel by Addie E. Sitchens: Dominion.

What I See
I recently caught up on the summer episodes of Emmerdale, and they were quite surprising!

What I Am Working On
My collaborators and I are exploring intriguing new research ideas related to dark matter scenarios.

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Lava Tubes Hold Secrets of Unidentified ‘Microbial Dark Matter’ – Sciworthy

Posted on November 27, 2025 by

Mars’ surface is not currently conducive to human life. It presents extreme challenges, including a tenuous atmosphere, freezing temperatures, and heightened radiation levels. While Earth’s extremophiles can tackle some obstacles, they can’t handle them all simultaneously. If Martian life exists, how do these microbes manage to survive in such an environment?

The answer might lie within caves. Many researchers believe that ancient lava tubes on Mars formed billions of years ago when the planet was warmer and had liquid water. Caves serve as shelters against radiation and severe temperatures found on the Martian surface. They also host the nutrients and minerals necessary for sustaining life. Although scientists cannot yet explore Martian caves directly, they are examining analogous sites on Earth to establish parameters for searching for life on Mars.

A research team, led by C.B. Fishman from Georgetown University, investigated the microorganisms inhabiting the lava tubes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, to learn about their survival mechanisms. Thanks to careful conservation efforts by Native Hawaiians, these lava tubes remain undisturbed by human activity. Researchers believe that both the rock structures in Mauna Loa Cave and the minerals formed from sulfur-rich gases bear similarities to Martian cave formations.

The team analyzed five samples from well-lit areas near the cave entrance, two from dimly lit zones with natural openings known as skylights, and five from the cave’s darkest recesses. Samples were chosen based on rock characteristics, including secondary minerals like calcite and gypsum, and primary iron-bearing minerals such as olivine and hematite.

Findings revealed significant variation in mineralogy within the cave, even over small distances. The bright samples were predominantly gypsum, while the dark samples lacked these key minerals. Instead, one dark sample was rich in iron-bearing minerals, while another contained mainly calcite, gypsum, and thenardite.

To identify the microorganisms within the samples, the team employed the 16S rRNA gene to recognize known microbes and understand their relationships. They also reconstructed complete genomes from cave samples using a method called metagenomic analysis. This technique is akin to following instructions to assemble various models from mixed DNA fragments. Such insights help researchers grasp how both known and unknown microorganisms thrive in their respective environments.

The team discovered that approximately 15% of the microbial genomes were unique to specific locations, with about 57% appearing in less than a quarter of the samples. Furthermore, microbial communities in dark regions exhibited less diversity and were more specialized compared to those in well-lit areas. While dark sites were not as varied as bright ones, each supported its own distinct microbial community.

To explain this difference, the researchers proposed that dark microbes have limited survival strategies since photosynthesis is impossible without light. Instead, these microbes extract chemical energy from rocks and decaying organic matter, much like how humans derive energy from breaking down food.

The findings from metagenomic data indicated that even though sulfur minerals were abundant, very few microorganisms specialized in sulfur consumption were present. This aligns with expectations in oxygen-rich environments, as oxygen tends to react with sulfur, making it unavailable to microorganisms. The researchers suggested that sulfur-metabolizing microbes may be more commonly found in low-oxygen environments, such as Mars.

Additionally, the study revealed that a majority of the microorganisms found in these caves were previously undescribed by science, contributing to what is referred to as microbial dark matter. The existence of such unknown microorganisms hints at novel survival strategies.

The research team concluded that lava tube caves could be a crucial source of new microorganisms, aiding astrobiologists in their quest to understand potential life forms on Mars. They recommended that future investigations into Martian caves should focus on detecting small-scale microbes in various mineral contexts. Over time, the interplay between cave conditions and Martian microorganisms may be unveiled as Mars becomes less habitable.

Post views: 76

Source: sciworthy.com

Potential First Signs of Dark Matter Discovered

Posted on November 26, 2025 by

Unexplained radiation surrounding the Milky Way may hint at dark matter’s composition

Trif/Shutterstock

SEI 275649097 — Unexplained radiation surrounding the Milky Way may hint at dark matter’s composition

Trif/Shutterstock

A mysterious glow detected in the outer regions of the Milky Way may provide the first clues about the nature of dark matter, yet astronomers caution that it’s premature to draw any definitive conclusions.

Dark matter is theorized to account for 85% of the universe’s total mass, but scientists have struggled to identify the particles constituting it.

Among the potential candidates for dark matter are weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). These elusive particles are notoriously hard to detect as they seldom interact with normal matter but are believed to occasionally self-annihilate, creating bursts of high-energy radiation in the form of gamma rays.

If dark matter is uniformly distributed across the galaxy as indicated by its gravitational effects, and if it consists of WIMPs, we should observe gamma rays as these particles self-annihilate. For over a decade, astronomers have been investigating whether the anomalously high gamma-ray emissions from the galactic center could signal this phenomenon, yet conclusive evidence remains elusive.

Now, Tomonori Toya, a professor at the University of Tokyo, claims he may have detected such a signal emanating from the Milky Way’s outer halo, utilizing 15 years’ worth of observations from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.

Toya devised a model predicting the expected gamma-ray radiation in this region based on established sources like stars, cosmic rays, and vast bubbles of radiation identified above and below the Milky Way. Upon subtracting this known radiation from the total observed by Fermi, he found a residual gamma-ray glow with an energy level around 20 gigaelectronvolts.

This specific gamma-ray energy strongly aligns with the theoretically anticipated emissions from WIMPs’ self-annihilation, according to Toya. Although he admits it is too early to assert that these gamma-ray spikes are definitively due to dark matter, he describes the findings as “the most promising candidate for radiation from dark matter known to date.”

“Though the research began with the aim of identifying dark matter signals, I initially felt skeptical—like winning the lottery. When I first observed what seemed to be a signal, I approached it with caution,” says Totoni. “However, after thoroughly checking everything and confirming its accuracy, I was filled with excitement.”

“This represents a significant result worthy of further investigation, but firm conclusions cannot be drawn at this stage,” states Francesca Karoly from the French National Center for Scientific Research in Annecy. Accurately modeling all gamma-ray sources in the Milky Way, aside from dark matter, is quite complex, and Totoni has yet to deeply validate her models.

Silvia Manconi of France’s Sorbonne University asserts that the results need additional scrutiny, and more robust models are essential to establish whether the signals are genuine. Additionally, gamma-ray signals from other sources, like dwarf galaxies, are still unobserved and require thorough explanation, she mentions.

Many alternative radiation sources, including radio waves and neutrinos, will also need analysis to ensure the gamma rays aren’t being attributed to something else, says Anthony Brown from Durham University, UK. “Analyzing from just one perspective isn’t sufficient,” he states. “Dark matter necessitates an abundance of high-quality data.”

CERN and Mont Blanc: Exploring dark matter and frozen phenomena in Switzerland and France

Get ready to experience the wonders of CERN, the European center for particle physics, situated near the picturesque city of Geneva, where scientists operate the renowned Large Hadron Collider.

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Mysterious Glow Around the Milky Way May Provide First Evidence of Dark Matter

Posted on November 26, 2025 by

For nearly a century, dark matter has posed a significant enigma. Although it outnumbers ordinary matter by a ratio of five to one, it remains invisible and undetectable by current technology.

A daring new analysis of 15 years of data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope now claims to shed light on this mystery.

The latest research reveals the detection of a peculiar halo-like glow of gamma rays surrounding the Milky Way galaxy, with distinct peaks in energy that align closely with the signals predicted for a specific type of hypothetical dark matter particle.

These particles, referred to as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), can generate gamma rays by annihilating one another.

“If this is validated, it would be the first instance where humanity has ‘seen’ dark matter,” stated Professor Tomonori Toya, an astronomer at the University of Tokyo and co-author of the study.

In an interview with BBC Science Focus, he expressed his initial skepticism: “When I first noticed what looked like a traffic light, I was doubtful, but after careful investigation, I became convinced it was accurate—it was an exhilarating moment,” he shared.

However, despite the excitement surrounding the new signals, independent experts caution that this discovery is far from conclusive.

This possible breakthrough emerges nearly a century after Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky first proposed dark matter’s existence, after observing that the galaxies in the Milky Way cluster were moving too swiftly for their visible mass.

Mr. Toya’s study, published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, scrutinized 15 years of data from the Fermi telescope, focusing on the regions above and below the Milky Way’s main disk—known as the galactic halo.

After modeling and accounting for known sources of gamma rays, such as interstellar gas interactions, cosmic rays, and massive bubbles of high-energy plasma at the galaxy’s center, he identified a leftover component that shouldn’t exist.

“We detected gamma rays with a photon energy measuring 20 giga-electron volts (or an impressive 20 billion electron volts), extending in a halo-like formation toward the Milky Way’s center,” Toya explained. “This gamma-ray-emitting component aligns with the expected shape of a dark matter halo.”

A gigaelectronvolt (GeV) represents a unit of energy utilized by physicists to quantify subatomic particles’ energy levels—approximately a billion times the energy that a single electron attains when traversing a 1-volt battery.

The potential dark matter signal identified by Toya sharply rises from a few GeV, peaks around 20 GeV, and subsequently declines, consistent with predictions for WIMPs, which possess about 500 times the mass of a proton.

This gamma-ray intensity map illustrates a signal that may originate from dark matter encircling the Milky Way halo. The gray horizontal bar in the central area represents the galactic plane, which was exempted from the analysis to avoid strong astrophysical radiation. – Photo credit: Tomonori Toya, University of Tokyo

In Totani’s perspective, this data significantly indicates the existence of dark matter. “This marks a crucial advancement in astronomy and physics,” he asserts.

Nevertheless, Jan Conrad, a professor of astroparticle physics at Stockholm University in Sweden and an independent expert in gamma-ray searches for dark matter, advises prudence.

“Making claims based on Fermi data is notoriously challenging,” he remarked to BBC Science Focus.

This isn’t the first instance of astronomers witnessing such phenomena; the story stretches back to 2009, shortly after the Fermi telescope’s launch. In that year, researchers identified an unexplained surplus of gamma rays emanating from the galactic center.

For years, this finding stood out as a compelling hint of dark matter. However, Conrad pointed out that even after 16 years, the scientific community has yet to arrive at a consensus about the signal’s dark matter roots.

“It’s believed to be related to dark matter,” he claims. “Despite accumulating data and enhanced methods since then, the question of dark matter’s existence remains unresolved.”

Even at this juncture, researchers who have spent over a decade working to disprove the galactic center excess are unable to definitively prove it is astrophysical in nature (originating from sources other than dark matter), nor can they confirm it is attributable to dark matter. The issue remains unsolved.

Conrad emphasized that the emerging signals from the halo are insufficiently studied and will likely necessitate many more years of investigation for verification. Both the new halo anomaly and the much-debated galactic center signal share a common challenge: noise interference.

In these regions, gamma rays potentially stemming from dark matter annihilation may also originate from numerous other, poorly understood sources—complicating efforts to reach definitive conclusions.

“The uncertainties surrounding astrophysical sources make it exceedingly difficult to assert strong claims,” Conrad stated.

Despite their differing confidence levels, both Totani and Conrad highlight the same forthcoming focus: dwarf galaxies.

These small, faint galaxies orbiting the Milky Way are believed to contain significant amounts of dark matter while exhibiting minimal astrophysical gamma-ray background, rendering them ideal for studying dark matter annihilation.

“If we detect a similar excess in dwarf galaxies, that would provide compelling evidence,” Conrad said. “Dwarf galaxies provide a much cleaner environment, allowing for potential confirmation.”

Dr. Toya concurred, noting, “If the results of this study are validated, it wouldn’t be surprising to observe gamma rays emitting from dwarf galaxies.”

The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) is the most sensitive ground-based gamma-ray observatory ever constructed, offering a powerful new approach to scrutinize whether this enigmatic signal is indeed dark matter. – Photo credit: Getty

Yet, the ultimate verification of Toya’s discovery might be closer to home. Experiments designed to detect dark matter are currently taking place in facilities situated deep underground around the world.

“If we were to observe a signal there that aligns with a WIMP of the same mass…that would present a robust argument, as it would be much cleaner,” Conrad pointed out.

In the coming years, the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) will significantly enhance sensitivity to high-energy gamma rays, enabling researchers to analyze halo signals with greater detail.

“Naturally, if this turns out to be true, it’s a significant discovery,” Conrad said. “The true nature of dark matter remains elusive. A clear signal indicating dark matter particles would be monumental. However, further research is essential to explore alternative explanations for this excess.”

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientists Have Studied Dark Matter for Decades—One May Have Caught a Glimpse.

Posted on November 26, 2025 by

Few entities in the universe are as intricate as dark matter, an unseen and exotic “matter” believed to account for most of the mass within galaxies.

The hypothesis suggests that aligning our current physical theories with observed universe phenomena necessitates the presence of substantial volumes of invisible matter. Scientists are convinced that this “missing mass” is real due to its gravitational pull, although direct detection has eluded them; they can only infer its presence.

Nearly a century after dark matter was first hypothesized, Japanese astrophysicists claim to have found the first concrete evidence of its existence—gamma rays emanating in a halo-like formation near the heart of the Milky Way.

“Naturally, we’re extremely enthusiastic!” said Tomonori Toya, a professor in the astronomy department at the University of Tokyo, in an email to NBC News. “While the research aimed at detecting dark matter, I thought the chances of success felt akin to hitting the jackpot.”

Toya’s assertion of being the first to identify dark matter is met with skepticism by some experts. Nonetheless, the findings, published on Tuesday in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, shed light on the relentless pursuit of dark matter and the challenges of investigating the unseen in space.

Dark matter is estimated to constitute around 27% of the universe, whereas ordinary matter (like humans, objects, stars, and planets) makes up roughly 5%, according to NASA. The remainder consists of another enigmatic component known as dark energy.

Toya’s research utilized data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, which is focused on the center of our galaxy. This telescope is adept at capturing a powerful form of electromagnetic radiation called gamma rays.

The idea of dark matter was first proposed by Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky in the 1930s when he detected anomalies in the mass and movement of galaxies within the gigantic Coma cluster. The galaxies’ velocities exceeded expectations, implying they were bound together rather than escaping the cluster.

The subsequent theory introduced a truly extraordinary form of matter. Dark matter is undetectable because it does not emit, absorb, or reflect light. However, given its theoretical mass and spatial occupation in the universe, its presence can be inferred from its gravitational effects.

Various models strive to elucidate dark matter, but scientists contend that it comprises exotic particles that exhibit different behaviors compared to familiar matter.

One widely considered theory posits that dark matter consists of hypothetical particles known as WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles), which have minimal interaction with ordinary matter. However, when two WIMPs collide, they can annihilate and emit potent gamma rays.

In his investigation, Toya identified a gamma-ray emission equating to about one millionth of the brightness of the Milky Way. The gamma rays also appeared spread out in a halo-like formation across extensive sky areas. Should these emissions originate from a single source, it may indicate that black holes, stars, or other cosmic entities, rather than diffuse dark matter, generate the gamma rays.

Gamma-ray intensity map covering roughly 100 degrees toward the galactic center. The gray horizontal line in the central section corresponds to the galactic plane, which was excluded from the analysis to avoid strong astrophysical radiation.Tomonori Toya / University of Tokyo

“To my knowledge, there’s no cosmic phenomena that would cause radiation exhibiting the spherical symmetry and unique energy spectrum observed here,” Toya remarked.

However, certain scientists not associated with the study expressed doubts about the findings.

David Kaplan, a physics and astronomy professor at Johns Hopkins University, emphasized that our understanding of gamma rays is still incomplete, complicating efforts to reliably connect their emissions to dark matter particles.

“We don’t yet know all the forms of matter in the universe capable of generating gamma rays,” Kaplan indicated, adding that these high-energy emissions could also originate from rapidly spinning neutron stars or black holes that consume regular matter and emit energetic jets.

Thus, even when unusual gamma-ray emissions are identified, deriving meaningful interpretations is challenging, noted Eric Charles, a scientist at Stanford University’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

“There are numerous intricacies we don’t fully grasp, and we observe a plethora of gamma rays across extensive areas of the sky linked with galaxies. It’s particularly difficult to decipher what transpired there,” he explained.

Dillon Braut, an assistant professor at Boston University’s Department of Astronomy and Physics, remarked that the gamma-ray signals and halo-like formations discussed in the study appear in regions of the sky that are “incredibly challenging to model.”

“Therefore, any claims should be treated with utmost caution,” Braut communicated to NBC News via email. “And, naturally, extraordinary claims necessitate extraordinary proof.”

Kaplan labeled the study as “intriguing” and “meriting further investigation,” but remained uncertain if subsequent analyses would substantiate the findings. Nonetheless, he anticipates that future advancements will allow scientists to directly validate dark matter’s existence.

“It would be a monumental shift as it appears poised to dominantly influence the universe,” he stated. “It accounts for the evolution of galaxies and, consequently, stars, planets, us, and is crucial for comprehending the universe’s origin.”

Toya himself acknowledged that further exploration is necessary to authenticate or refute his assertions.

“If accurate, the outcomes would have such significance that the research community would earnestly evaluate their legitimacy,” he noted. “While I have confidence in my findings, I hope other independent scholars can verify these results.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Study Reveals Disappearance of Dark Matter as Cause for Excess Galactic Centers in the Milky Way

Posted on October 21, 2025 by

The galactic center excess refers to an unexpected intensity of gamma rays emerging from the core of the Milky Way galaxy.

This view displays the entire sky at energies exceeding 1 GeV, derived from five years of data from the LAT instrument on NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The most striking aspect is a luminous band of diffuse light along the center of the map, indicating the central plane of the Milky Way galaxy. Image credit: NASA/DOE/Fermi LAT collaboration.

Gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation characterized by the shortest wavelengths and the highest energy.

The intriguing gamma-ray signal from the Milky Way’s center was initially observed in 2009 by the Large Area Telescope, the primary instrument of NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.

The source of this signal remains under discussion, with main hypotheses involving self-annihilating dark matter and undetected populations of millisecond pulsars.

“When Fermi directed its gaze toward the galaxy’s center, the outcome was unexpected,” remarked Dr. Noam Libeskind, an astrophysicist at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics in Potsdam.

“The telescope detected an excessive number of gamma rays, the most energetic form of light in the universe.”

“Astronomers worldwide were baffled, and numerous competing theories emerged to clarify the so-called gamma-ray excess.”

“After extensive discussion, two primary theories surfaced: either these gamma rays stem from millisecond pulsars (highly dense neutron stars rotating thousands of times per second) or from dark matter particles colliding and annihilating. Both theories, however, have their limitations.”

“Nonetheless, our findings strongly support the notion that the gamma-ray excess arises from dark matter annihilation.”

In their study, Dr. Libeskind and his team simulated the formation of the Milky Way galaxy under conditions akin to those in Earth’s neighboring universe.

They discovered that dark matter does not radiate outward from the galaxy’s core but is organized similarly to stars, suggesting that it could also contribute to the excess gamma rays.

“The Milky Way has long been recognized as existing within a spherical region filled with dark matter, often referred to as a dark matter halo,” explained Dr. Mourits Mikkel Mur, an astrophysicist at the Potsdam Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics and the University of Tartu.

“However, the degree to which this halo is aspheric or ellipsoidal remains unclear.”

“We analyzed simulations of the Milky Way and its dark matter halo and found that the flattening of this region sufficiently accounts for the gamma-ray excess due to self-annihilation of dark matter particles.”

“These calculations indicate that the search for dark matter particles capable of self-annihilation should be emphasized, bringing us closer to uncovering the enigmatic properties of these particles.”

A study of the survey results was published in this month’s edition of Physical Review Letters.

_____

Mikel Mur the Moor et al. 2025. Excess forms of dark matter in Fermi LAT galactic center Milky Way simulations. Physics. Pastore Rhett 135, 161005; doi: 10.1103/g9qz-h8wd

Source: www.sci.news

Everyday Sugar Could Help Uncover Dark Matter

Posted on October 17, 2025 by

A thin crystalline film of table sugar, or sucrose, captured using a polarized light microscope.

Carl Gough/Science Photo Library

SEI 270572247 — A thin crystalline film of table sugar, or sucrose, captured using a polarized light microscope.

Carl Gough/Science Photo Library

Researchers have developed a novel method to probe dark matter utilizing expansive crystals of sucrose, or table sugar, yet their findings thus far yield nothing more than a bittersweet outcome.

Dark matter is believed to exist due to its elusive gravitational pull on galaxies; however, despite decades of exploration for potential dark matter particles, little evidence has surfaced. Historically, many searches focused on weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), considered leading candidates for dark matter. Yet, even the most meticulous searches have proven fruitless.

Conventional WIMP detectors aim to identify light flashes produced by interactions between dark matter particles and regular matter, assuming that these particles are relatively sizable, around 2 to 10,000 times the mass of a proton. Although this explanation is the most straightforward, the possibility exists that WIMPs are lighter, albeit creating challenges with the theory.

Recently, Federica Petricca and her team at the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Munich, Germany, have sought these lighter WIMPs utilizing a detector constructed from sugar crystals chilled to extremely low temperatures.

Very light WIMPs are expected to predominantly interact with extremely light atoms like hydrogen; however, utilizing pure hydrogen as a detector is challenging due to its low density, which diminishes interaction probabilities. On the other hand, sucrose comprises 22 hydrogen atoms in each molecule, leading to a significantly higher density than pure hydrogen.

Petricca and her colleagues initially cultivated sucrose crystals from a concentrated sugar solution over the span of a week before reducing the temperature of the crystals to 7 thousandths of a degree above absolute zero. They monitored potential dark matter interactions by employing highly sensitive thermometers to detect minimal heat increases and photon sensors to register flashes of light.

Following 19 hours of experimentation, the sugar crystals did emit light at levels comparable to interactions with larger particles; however, they did not capture the weaker signals that might indicate the presence of WIMPs.

Scientists assert that sugar crystals offer surprising sensitivity for detecting potential dark matter interactions. Carlos Blanco of Penn State notes that researchers may be able to identify subtle recoils from lightweight WIMPs. However, it remains uncertain if this experiment can effectively exclude other potential sources of crystal formation, like radioactive carbon-14, commonly present in various sugars.

CERN and Mont Blanc: Dark Matter and Frozen Matter in Switzerland and France

Get ready to be inspired by CERN, the heart of particle physics in Europe, situated near the lovely Swiss city of Geneva, where researchers manage the well-known Large Hadron Collider.

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Heart of Our Galaxy Could Be Teeming with Dark Matter Particles

Posted on October 17, 2025 by

Gamma rays are detected in unusually high amounts at the center of the Milky Way galaxy

The center of our galaxy is exhibiting unusual behavior, potentially linked to dark matter. In 2009, observations from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope uncovered unexpectedly high levels of gamma ray emissions from the Milky Way’s center, a phenomenon termed galactic central gamma-ray excess (GCE). Simulations suggest these gamma rays could arise from the annihilation of dark matter particles.

The discussion surrounding the origins of GCE has intensified since its initial discovery, leading to two main theories. The first posits that it may stem from a previously unobserved population of pulsars, rapidly spinning neutron stars that emit considerable radiation.

Alternatively, it could be linked to weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), long considered primary candidates for dark matter. These particles seldom interact with normal matter, but a collision between two can lead to annihilation and consequently, a burst of gamma rays.

However, the dark matter explanation has lost traction recently, especially after searches for WIMPs yielded no results. “The dark matter interpretation demands greater proof due to insufficient direct evidence of its existence despite thorough investigations,” notes Jeff Grube from King’s College London.

Another factor contributing to this skepticism is that dark matter in galaxies is expected to be evenly distributed, while GCEs display a flattened distribution. Yet, new simulations by Joseph Silk and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland indicate that this discrepancy may not be significant.

These new simulations carefully considered the Milky Way’s history in relation to GCEs. “We know from history that our galaxy merged with smaller galaxies billions of years ago, which contributed to the formation of dark matter,” noted Silk. “No one would have anticipated that the galaxy’s center would exhibit spherical symmetry due to this history.”

The results confirmed this notion, resulting in a distorted dark matter distribution aligned with the shape of GCE, reviving the dark matter theory. However, the mystery remains unresolved, as pulsars continue to be a viable explanation. “At best, the situation is still ambiguous,” added Grube.

The current gamma-ray observatories do not possess the capability to distinguish between these two theories; however, the Cherenkov Telescope Array observatories, under construction in the Canary Islands and Chile and expected to begin operations in 2026, could provide clarity.

“In many ways, there’s a 50 percent chance that we may have discovered significant dark matter, but we require new telescopes to confirm this,” stated Silk. If GCE is indeed the result of dark matter, it could offer the best insight yet into this enigmatic substance that underpins the universe.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Clues to Exotic Dark Matter Particles Could Be Found in LHC Data

Posted on September 24, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

ATLAS Detector of the Large Hadron Collider

Xenotar/Getty Images

SEI 266779422 — ATLAS Detector of the Large Hadron Collider

Xenotar/Getty Images

The theoretical particles known as axions have attracted the attention of physicists for decades, as they are significant candidates for identifying dark matter. Recent research suggests that we might not need new experiments to discover these exotic particles; evidence could already be embedded in existing data from previous particle collider experiments.

Particle colliders like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland, discover new particles by colliding protons and ions, analyzing the resulting debris. Now, Gustabo Gilda Silveyra and his team at CERN are exploring another avenue: can we detect when a proton or ion emits a new particle during acceleration? Their findings indicate that this may indeed be possible.

The axion was theorized in the 1970s as part of a pivotal solution to a significant problem in physics. Its importance surpasses even that of antimatter. Although the ongoing search for experimental evidence of axions has not yet yielded results, it raises the possibility that other particles resembling axions might exist. Due to their incredibly low mass, they bear a close resemblance to substantial quantities of light or photons, interacting together with the LHC.

This interaction primarily occurs when protons or ions are accelerated to astonishing energy levels. As these particles approach each other, they begin to emit radiation in the form of photons, which may then collide with one another. Researchers have modeled this scenario, replacing photons with axion-like particles. Their results indicate that accelerated protons exhibit a higher likelihood of generating axion-like particles compared to accelerated ions, with both producing photons simultaneously. Consequently, the team has identified collisions between protons and lead ions as optimal for uncovering signals related to axions influencing photons. The specific proton-lead ion collisions were executed at the LHC in 2016, and the researchers propose that data from these experiments might have been previously overlooked but could contain vital hints about new axion-like particles.

Lucien Haaland Lang from University College London has remarked that this approach presents an intriguing new pathway to uncover potential undiscovered particles, though he cautions about the challenges involved. “Such collision events are rare, and we must be cautious to differentiate our findings from background processes that may inadvertently mimic the signals we seek,” he notes.

Access to older LHC data poses challenges due to updates in software, according to Da Silveira. However, he expresses optimism regarding future experiments at the LHC. “We will be able to adjust the detector to capture this specific signal,” he states.

Identifying a particle signal analogous to an axion does not equate to discovering an actual axion, thus leaving one of the major unresolved questions in physics unanswered. Nonetheless, it expands our understanding of particle physics, prompting inquiries into how new particles might interact with known counterparts and whether they might help explain the enigmatic dark matter that permeates the universe.

Journal Reference: Physical Review Letter, In print

Topics:

Large Hadron Collider/
Particle Physics

Source: www.newscientist.com

Inside the World’s Top Dark Matter Detector: What It’s Really Like to Operate

Posted on September 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Chamkaur Ghag plays a pivotal role in the Lux-Zeplin experiment, a leading dark matter detector

Nova

Deep underground in South Dakota, the most advanced dark matter detector on Earth awaits its moment of discovery. This is the Lux-Zeplin (LZ) experiment, highlighting a vast tank of liquid xenon. Physicist Shankaur Ghag from University College London is among the key leaders in this large scientific collaboration, which aims to unravel about 85% of the universe’s mysteries that still elude us.

Currently, Ghag and his team find themselves at a crucial juncture in the quest for this elusive substance. They are considering plans for a more significant detector called xlzd, which promises to be many times the size of the LZ and even more precise. However, if neither detector can uncover the dark matter, they may need to reassess their understanding of what dark matter is. As Ghag suggests, future dark matter detectors may not be massive underground structures but rather smaller, unassuming devices. He has already devised a prototype of such a detector ahead of his upcoming talks at New Scientist Live this October.

Leah Crane: To start, why is dark matter so essential?

Chamkaur Ghag: On one side, we have all the knowledge that particles and atoms, alongside particle physics, provide about the components of matter. On the contrary, we understand gravity as well. While this may seem comprehensive, a significant issue arises when attempting to merge gravity and particle physics. Our galaxy shouldn’t exist as it does. It remains intact through gravity, which seems to derive from unseen matter. This isn’t just a tiny glue; around 85% of the universe comprises this so-called dark matter.

Why have our efforts to find it been so prolonged, with little success?

At present, we hypothesize that dark matter likely consists of what we term “wimps”—massive, weakly interacting particles that originated in the early universe. Consequently, these rarely interact with other particles, providing only a faint signature, which necessitates a large detector for detection. The larger these detectors are, the greater the chance that dark matter particles will pass through them. Additionally, they must be extremely quiet since even slight vibrations can obscure the signal.

We discuss the theoretical landscape of dark matter, which encompasses the range of masses and characteristics such particles could possess. We’ve already excluded certain regions of this landscape, making it essential to delve even deeper underground with larger detectors to explore where dark matter may still exist.

This painstaking endeavor requires minimizing background noise. For instance, many metals emit small radioactive levels, necessitating rigorous efforts to reduce construction material noise. The LZ detector boasts the lowest background noise and the highest level of radio-purity on the planet.

The LZ is currently the most sensitive detector we have. How does it function?

In essence, it operates as a double-walled thermos, containing several meters of liquid xenon. This xenon resides within a reflective tank, equipped with light sensors positioned above and below. Additionally, an electric field exists within this tank. When a wimp collides with a xenon nucleus, it generates a brief flash of light. However, due to the electric field, it causes the electrons to split apart, producing a second flash from the nucleus.

This two-signal output enables us to ascertain the exact location of an event. The intensity of both the primary and secondary flashes informs us about the microphysics of whether the interaction was caused by a wimp or an unrelated phenomenon, such as gamma rays. To ensure optimal detection, we are positioned miles underground to shield against cosmic rays and also encapsulated in an aquarium to safeguard against the surrounding rock.

This endeavor is undoubtedly complex. What has been the most challenging aspect of making it operational?

In an earlier experiment with a smaller prototype called Lux, I understood what was required to create an instrument tenfold more sensitive. Bringing that theoretical knowledge into practice proved challenging. For me, the toughest challenge lay in ensuring the instrument remained clean and quiet enough to achieve required sensitivity. When deployed with the LZ, it occupies a vast area equivalent to a football pitch, where it must tolerate only a gram of dust spread across its surface.

What is it like working with such an ultra-clean detector underground?

The environment, once a gold mine, retains its industrial atmosphere. You don a hard hat, descend a mile down, and then trek to the lab. Upon entering the lab, you lose sense of the surroundings; it transforms into a clean room filled with computers and equipment—essentially a lab devoid of windows. But the journey underground feels otherworldly.

Outer Detectors of the Lux-Zeplin Experiment

Sanford Underground Research Facility/Matthew Kapust

Historically, wimps have been the primary suspect for dark matter. At what point do we consider the wimp hypothesis invalid if we find no evidence?

Should we construct the XLZDs, the larger detectors intended for this purpose, and reach a point where they fail to detect wimps, it would be hard to sustain the idea of a standard wimp existing if we must venture beyond the capabilities of those instruments. However, until that happens, wimps are still in the game. The void between our current findings and those of the XLZD remains intriguing.

We’ve also developed a much smaller, entirely different detector for dark matter. Can you tell me more about it?

We’ve engineered 150 nanometer wide glass beads coated with lasers. This highly sensitive force detector can determine interactions in three dimensions, allowing us to ascertain which direction an event originated from. This capability is significant as it enables us to filter out terrestrial background influence, such as radioactive decay from geological materials.

This concept seems far removed from large detectors like the LZ. What’s the logic behind its creation? Will we see further advancements in smaller detectors?

Large-scale underground experiments, while large and sensitive, can paradoxically limit sensitivity due to their size. For instance, when a dark matter particle collides with my xenon detector, it may produce 10 photons. A smaller tank can capture all of them, but in a larger tank, these photons could bounce around and only a few are detected.

Furthermore, when a dark matter particle interacts with my detector, it only generates two photons initially. In this scenario, the maximal signal from a detector akin to the LZ diminishes. This has spurred the motivation to search for low-mass dark matter particles beyond the LZ’s detection range, leading us toward alternative detection methods.

If dark matter were to be discovered, what implications would that hold for physics and our understanding of the universe?

The implications would be two-fold: it would conclusively provide answers to what constitutes 85% of the universe, and it would challenge the standard model of particle physics, which currently outlines the known components of reality. Thus, if we discovered dark matter, it may offer the first glimpse beyond this conventional framework. Up until now, we’ve had no solid evidence to deviate from the standard model—this would serve as the first ray of hope.

Topics:

Dark Matter/
Particle Physics

Source: www.newscientist.com

Should It Be “Space-Time” or “Space Time”? And Why Does It Matter?

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

“Even trying to explain ‘space’ feels challenging…”

ShutterStock/FastMotion

One of the most challenging aspects of writing a book is the need for authors to seek out blurbs. These endorsements, prominently featured on book covers, can entice readers to make a purchase. Right now, I’m at this stage with The Edge of Spacetime, reaching out for letters of recommendation, asking people to read my work and share positive thoughts in return for something more than just my good intentions.

It’s a bit nerve-wracking, yet it can also be fascinating. Those whose endorsements get published were asked in a specific format—what prompted you to use “space-time” with a hyphen rather than “spacetime”?

This seems like a question of simple grammar, but there’s a deeper issue at play. When discussing space or time individually, we have an intuitive grasp of what we mean. The term “space-time” is somewhat newer to scientific discourse. Historically, many cultures have embraced a unified concept that doesn’t differentiate between space and time as distinct entities.

For me, as a science communicator, explaining this concept is quite challenging. Even articulating “space” is complex. I might say space is where movement occurs, but movement also happens within time. I could define space as the realm where things exist, but a similar statement can be made for time. We even pondered describing space as a geographical location, yet that sounds overly academic and abstract. Essentially, we are referring to a site of spatial dimensions.

To elucidate, there are three dimensions of space and one dimension of time, but time only flows in one direction.

However, as Albert Einstein famously asserted, these aren’t separate phenomena. Observers moving at varying speeds, especially as they approach the speed of light, may disagree on when certain events transpire. They may also hold differing views on the size of objects. To truly understand everything, we must quantify space-time rather than merely space or time. This perspective might not feel intuitive, but it is the most effective way to comprehend the mechanics of the universe.

In this regard, it’s worth considering whether space-time represents a confluence of two familiar phenomena or signifies the emergence of something entirely new. This is where the nuances of grammar reflect our scientific understanding, at least from my viewpoint.

“
It’s worth considering whether space-time is a merger of two familiar phenomena or something new.
“

My last name includes the very first hyphen I encountered. My parents chose to keep both surnames, so to me, Prescod Weinstein signifies both identities.

The hyphenated version of space-time can be interpreted as indicating that what we discuss encompasses both space and time. Conversely, removing the hyphen to form “spacetime” may suggest we are addressing an entirely distinct entity. It embodies attributes of both space and time while existing as a separate third entity.

Are we contemplating something that is both space and time (space-time), or are space and time merely approximations of a fundamentally different conception of space-time? I find myself somewhat ambivalent. In my earlier book, The Blurbriter, I noted this distinction without employing hyphens, thus raising the question of why I chose to make a switch this time around.

The straightforward answer is that the title of the new book appears in the introductory sections of classic cosmology texts. Large-Scale Structure of Space-Time by Stephen Hawking and Father George Ellis states in the very first chapter that solving the equations that describe the universe “in a sense, involves contemplating the edges of space-time.” Just two pages later, they posit that locations where equations deconstruct (like at the heart of a black hole) can be viewed as “representing part of the edge of space-time.”

My book includes chapters that elucidate the types of equations they reference and the role of boundaries and edges in physics. Since I was about to borrow this phrase for my book’s title, I felt compelled to adhere to their terminology.

This is a surface-level explanation. However, at a deeper level, I am unsure where I stand. Like my request for endorsements, I feel inclined to prefer “spacetime” without a hyphen. Yet, I’m also aware of how habitual language can be, given my repeated use of hyphens in the subtitles of my previous work. Scientifically, I lean toward the notion that “space-time” encompasses both space and time, asserting that it is an entirely different fourth dimension: space-time. This may seem like a complex perspective, but I desire to embrace both aspects simultaneously!

Chanda’s Week

What I’m reading

I’m quite excited about the new Charlie Jane Anders novel Lessons from Magic and Disaster.

What I’m seeing

I’ve just caught up with the sci-fi series Invasion, and it’s truly captivating.

What I’m working on

I have a new postdoctoral researcher joining my group.

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Hampshire. She is the author of Cosmos with Disabilities and her forthcoming book, Edges of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Dreams of the Universe.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Ganymede, Jupiter’s Moon, May Function as a Massive Dark Matter Detector

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

View of Ganymede from NASA’s Juno spacecraft

junocam/nasa/jpl-caltech/swri/msss/kalleheikki kannisto

Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons, has the potential to act as a significant dark matter detector, with upcoming space missions possibly unveiling unique dark matter craters on its ancient terrain.

Researchers typically seek dark matter by looking for lightweight particles that seldom interact with normal matter, employing large, insulated underground detectors. Alternatively, another category of dark matter particles could grow from the size of a basketball to that of an asteroid, but these are infrequent and interact rarely with conventional matter. To detect these hefty dark matter particles, a detector of lunar or planetary scale is necessary to account for their scarcity.

William Derocco from the University of Maryland has proposed that Ganymede, the solar system’s largest moon, may hold clues to these large dark matter particles. His research indicates that they could create a unique crater on the moon’s icy surface, preserved for millions of years due to its stable geology.

Derocco estimates the extent to which these giant dark matter particles penetrate Ganymede’s thick ice layers, finding that they reach the subterranean oceans, fostering unique minerals deeper than a standard asteroid might.

Future missions, such as NASA’s Europa Clipper and ESA’s JUICE, might be able to identify these dark material craters from orbit. Derocco believes these features will be relatively small and distinct, separated from other geological formations. He suggests that “if an underground intrusion radar is used, it may reveal this melted ice column extending down through the ice.”

Utilizing a moon-sized dark matter detector could help identify particles that elude detection on Earth, according to Zachary Picker from UCLA. He states, “Experiments on Earth struggle to find dark matter particles the size of a bowling ball. Particles the size of a refrigerator or car have interactions that are too infrequent.”

The proposal is thorough and well-reasoned, as noted by Bradley Cabana from the University of Cantabria in Spain. “There’s no compelling physical rationale to assume the existence of such massive dark matter particles,” he states. “It’s about exploring all possibilities.” He describes these as extraordinary objects, incredibly dense and held together by formidable forces from obscure sectors.

Topics:

Dark matter/
Space exploration

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Eternal Planet Sustains Itself by “Consuming” Dark Matter

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

In the heart of the Milky Way, the stars appear younger than expected.

NASA, Caltech, Susan Stolovy (SSC, Caltech)

SEI 259312434 — In the heart of the Milky Way, the stars appear younger than expected.

NASA, Caltech, Susan Stolovy (SSC, Caltech)

Stars in the core of our galaxy may indeed be nearly immortal, harnessing dark matter for energy.

Over two decades ago, astronomers observed oddities among the stars at the Milky Way’s center. Their emitted light suggests they are younger than their mass would indicate; this phenomenon is termed the “Youth Paradox.” Furthermore, there’s a surprising scarcity of older stars in this region, referred to as the “aging difficulty problem.”

Currently, Isabelle John from the University of Stockholm and her team employed computer simulations to propose that dark matter might hold the key to resolving both issues.

It’s established that the centers of galaxies possess high densities of dark matter. The researchers simulated the interactions of dark matter particles with stars and found that upon collision with a star’s atomic nucleus, a particle loses energy and can become trapped there. If other dark matter particles are also present at the same site, they can annihilate each other, generating bursts of energy that illuminate the stars.

Stars typically age due to a lack of fusion fuel, but dark matter could serve as an extra energy source, extending their longevity. Given the substantial amount of dark matter surrounding the galactic center, this mechanism may effectively grant stars a form of immortality, according to John.

She notes that the team’s simulations are based on broad assumptions regarding dark matter and align qualitatively with historical observations. However, further empirical data could enhance our understanding, prompting additional telescope observations to gather fresh insights on dark matter and verify if the stars at the Milky Way’s core can indeed achieve eternal life, as their nature remains poorly understood.

Mark Pinne from Ohio State University emphasizes the importance of interpreting simulations of stars situated away from the galaxy’s center. He points out that since there exists comprehensive observational data on stars near Earth, the anticipated impacts of dark matter should be cross-verified with this information.

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Dark Dwarfs Could Uncover the True Nature of Dark Matter

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A research team from Durham University, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Liverpool suggests that dark dwarfs are theoretical objects driven by dark matter, created from the cooling process of brown dwarfs.

An AI representation of a dark dwarf. Image credit: Gemini AI.

Currently, we understand that dark matter exists and how it behaves, but we are still unsure of its true nature.

In the last half-century, various theories have emerged, but gathering sufficient experimental evidence remains a challenge.

Some of the most well-known candidates for dark matter include weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPS), which are substantial particles that interact very slightly with ordinary matter. They pass through unnoticed, do not emit light, and reveal themselves only through gravitational effects.

This form of dark matter is essential for the existence of dark dwarfs.

“Dark matter interacts with gravity, allowing it to be captured by stars and accumulate within them,” explained Professor Jeremy Sachstein from the University of Hawaii.

“If this occurs, it may also interact internally, leading to annihilation and energy release that heats the star.”

A nuclear fusion process occurs at the star’s core, generating significant heat and energy, which allows a typical star to shine.

Fusion happens when a star’s mass is sufficient for gravity to compress matter toward the center intensely enough to initiate reactions between the nuclei.

This process releases a tremendous amount of energy, which is perceived as light. Although dark dwarfs also emit light, they do not do so through nuclear fusion.

“Dark dwarfs are low-mass objects, roughly 8% of the solar mass,” noted Professor Sachstein.

“Such small masses are insufficient to trigger a fusion reaction.”

“Consequently, these objects are prevalent in the universe but typically emit only dim light, being classified as brown dwarfs by scientists.

However, if brown dwarfs reside in regions with a high concentration of dark matter (such as the center of the Milky Way), they can evolve into different entities.

“These objects gather dark matter that enables them to transform into dark stars,” Professor Sachstein stated.

“The greater the surrounding dark matter, the more can be captured.”

“And as the dark material accumulates within the star, more energy is generated through its annihilation.”

“For a dark dwarf to exist, dark matter must consist of heavy particles that engage strongly with one another to produce visible matter.”

“Alternative candidates proposed to explain dark matter, such as axions, ambiguous ultralight particles, or sterile neutrinos, are too light to yield the expected effects on these objects.”

“Only massive particles capable of interacting with each other and annihilating to produce visible energy can facilitate the emergence of dark dwarfs.”

However, this hypothesis lacks substantial value without a definitive method of identifying dark dwarfs.

Therefore, Professor Sachstein and his team have suggested distinctive markers.

“There were a few indicators, but lithium-7 presents a unique scenario,” Professor Sachstein mentioned.

“Lithium-7 combusts readily and is rapidly depleted in regular stars.”

“Thus, if you identify an object resembling a dark dwarf, you should search for the presence of lithium, as it would be absent if it were a brown dwarf or something similar.”

The team’s study will be published in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.

____

DJUNA CROON et al. 2025. Dark Dwarf: A theoretical dark matter-driven star-like object awaiting discovery at the Galactic Center. jcap 07:019; doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2025/07/019

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers Map the Distribution of Ordinary Matter Across the Universe

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Astronomers are making significant strides in comprehending how matter behaves and interacts in space utilizing fast radio bursts (FRB). They have found that over three-quarters of the universe’s ordinary material is concealed within sparse intergalactic gases, and they have also identified the furthest FRB event recorded to date.

This artist’s concept illustrates the density regions and red blank areas of the universe’s web in blue. Image Credit: Jack Madden/Illustristng/Ralf Konietzka/Liam Connor, CFA.

For many years, it has been established that at least half of the normal, predominantly proton-based baryonic material in the universe has gone unaccounted for.

Previous approaches by astronomers employed methods like X-ray and ultraviolet observations to gather significant clues regarding this missing mass, which manifests as extremely thin warm gases between galaxies.

The challenge arises from the high-temperature, low-density gas that remains mostly invisible to most telescopes, leaving scientists unable to assess its presence or distribution.

This is where FRBs come into play – brief, intense radio signals emitted by distant galaxies that researchers have recently demonstrated could measure baryonic matter in space, although its location remained a mystery until now.

In the latest study, scientists examined 60 FRBs, with the most distant FRB recorded at 1,174 million light-years (FRB 20200120E) from Messier 81 and reaching up to 9.1 billion light-years (FRB 20230521b).

This enabled them to pinpoint the missing material within intergalactic spaces or the intergalactic medium (IGM).

“The ‘baryon problem’ was never in doubt,” stated Dr. Liam Connor, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “The issue has always been about its location. Now with FRBs, we’ve established that three-quarters of it exists between galaxies in the cosmic web.”

By analyzing the delays in each FRB signal as it traveled through space, Dr. Connor and his colleagues tracked the gaseous medium along its path.

“FRBs function like flashlights in space, illuminating the intergalactic medium. By accurately gauging how the light slows down, we can assess this medium, whether it’s starkly visible or barely detectable,” Dr. Connor explains.

The findings are revealing—approximately 76% of the universe’s baryonic matter resides within the IGM.

Additionally, about 15% is found in galaxy halos, with a minor fraction embedded within stars and cool galactic gases.

This distribution aligns with predictions made by advanced cosmological simulations, yet this is the first instance of direct confirmation.

“This marks a triumph for contemporary astronomy,” noted Dr. Vikram Ravi, an astronomer from California.

“Thanks to FRBs, we are now approaching a new understanding of the universe’s structure and composition.”

“These brief flashes enable us to trace the invisible baryonic matter filling the expansive voids between galaxies,” he added.

“Baryons are pulled into galaxies by gravity; however, supermassive black holes and supernova explosions can expel them back into the IGM, cooling cosmic temperatures when they spiral out of control,” commented Dr. Connor.

“Our findings indicate that this feedback mechanism is effective, suggesting gas must be displaced from galaxies into the IGM.”

The team’s results are published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.

____

L. Connor et al. Gas-rich cosmic web unveiled by the partition of missing baryons. Nature Astronomy Published online on June 16th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02566-y

Source: www.sci.news

We Might Have Found the First Star Made of Dark Matter

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Mysterious stars might be fueled by dark matter

Artsiom P/Shutterstock

SEI 254497072 — Mysterious stars might be fueled by dark matter

Artsiom P/Shutterstock

Astronomers have uncovered compelling evidence for the existence of Dark Stars—massive stars in the early universe that might be partly energized by dark matter. If confirmed, these hypothetical stars could shed light on the enigmatic large black holes observed in the early universe, although skepticism remains among some astronomers regarding these findings.

The concept of Dark Stars was proposed in 2007 by Katherine Freese and her colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin. They theorized that immense clouds of hydrogen and helium in the early universe could interact with dark matter, forming gigantic and stable stars. Absent dark matter, such vast gas clouds would collapse into black holes, but energy from decaying dark matter can counter this collapse, resulting in star-like entities even without the nuclear fusion typical of ordinary stars.

Until recently, evidence for these exotic objects from the early universe was scant, but in 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) began discovering numerous bright, distant celestial objects. Freese and her team identified three galaxies that exhibited several characteristics predicted by Dark Star models, such as round shapes and similar luminosity, though detailed spectral data was absent to confirm their hypothesis definitively.

Now, with new spectral observations from JWST, Freese’s team believes they can match theoretical predictions of what Dark Stars should resemble, including two additional candidates. One of these potential candidates shows intriguing hints of specific helium characteristics—missing electrons—which, if validated, could serve as a distinct hallmark of a Dark Star. Freese remarks, “If it’s real, I don’t know how else to explain it using Dark Stars.” She cautions, however, that evidence is still limited.

Meanwhile, Daniel Whalen from the University of Portsmouth in the UK suggests that an alternative theory of ultra-massive protostars, which do not involve dark matter, might also explain the JWST findings. “They overlook considerable literature concerning the formation of ultra-massive protostars, some of which can produce signatures remarkably similar to the ones they present,” claims Whalen.

Freese, however, strongly disagrees, asserting that burning dark matter is the only feasible method for creating such massive stars. “There’s no alternative route,” she insists.

A complicating factor arises from separate observations of the objects studied by Freese’s team using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, which indicated the presence of oxygen. This element is not associated with Dark Stars, suggesting these candidates might be hybrid stars. On the other hand, Whalen and his team interpret the presence of oxygen as a strong indicator that these objects cannot be Dark Stars, attributing their formation to conventional stars that exploded as supernovae.

Should Freese and her collaborators confirm that these objects are indeed Dark Stars, it could address significant challenges in understanding the universe. Current models posit that such black holes can only originate from extremely massive matter, which raises questions about their formation in the early universe.

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Can universes contain dark matter halos without any galaxies?

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A new study by computational astrophysicist Ethan Nadler from the University of California, San Diego, shows that star formation can occur at halos in the solar masses of 10 million people through molecular hydrogen cooling.

Nadler calculated the percentage of dark matter halos above the critical mass required for star formation. Image credit: Xiaodian Chen.

All galaxies are thought to form at the center of the dark matter halo. This is a region of material coupled to gravity that extends far beyond the galaxy’s visible boundary.

Stars form when gravity within the halo of dark matter draws gases, but astrophysicists still don’t know if there is a dark halo of matter without stars.

“What is the halo mass threshold for the galaxy layer?” said Dr. Nadler.

“This question underlies the key areas of research in galaxy formation and cosmology, including when and how the first galaxy was formed, how galaxies promote the regeneration of the universe, and whether halos of “dark” (without galaxies) exist.

“Robust predictions of galaxy formation thresholds are important to provide future observations of faint galaxies and low-mass halos throughout the history of the universe.”

In his new study, Dr. Nadler calculated the mass that Halo cannot form stars.

His research was conducted using analytical predictions from galaxy formation theory and cosmological simulations.

“Historically, understanding of dark matter has been related to behavior in the galaxy,” Dr. Nadler said.

“When you detect a completely dark halo, a new window opens to study the universe.”

Previously, this threshold for star formation was thought to be between 100 million and 1 billion solar masses due to cooling of atomic hydrogen gas.

The current study shows that star formation can occur in the solar mass of 10 million people at halos via molecular hydrogen cooling.

“The Rubin Observatory will be coming online later this year and Webb is already making unprecedented observations of our universe, so we’ll soon have new data to test these predictions, revealing whether there’s a completely dark halo,” Dr. Nadler said.

“This could have widespread consequences for cosmology and the nature of dark matter.”

study It will be displayed in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

____

Ethan O. Nadler. 2025. Effect of molecular hydrogen cooling on galaxy formation thresholds. apjl 983, L23; doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adbc6e

Source: www.sci.news

AI can rapidly decode digital data stored in DNA in a matter of minutes instead of days

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

DNA can store digital data such as visual and audio files

Science Picture Co / Alamy

Artificial intelligence can read data stored in DNA strands within 10 minutes, not the day required for previous methods, and DNA storage approaches practical use of computing.

“DNA stores huge amounts of data in a very compact form and remains intact for thousands of years.” Daniella Bar-Lev At the University of California, San Diego. “In addition, DNA is naturally replicable and offers a unique advantage for long-term data storage.”

However, getting encoded information within DNA is a monumental challenge as the strands become confused when mixed and stored. During the data encoding process, individual strands may be replicated incompletely, and some fragments may be lost completely. As a result, data readings stored in DNA are similar to reconstructing books from boxes filled with pages that go beyond the finest, varied.

“The traditional methods suffer from this confusion and require several days of processing,” says Bar-Lev. The new approach “rationalizes this with AI trained to find patterns of noise,” she says.

Bar-Lev and her colleagues developed an AI-driven method called DNAFormer. The system includes a deep learning AI model trained to reconstruct DNA sequences, another computer algorithm to identify and correct errors, and a third decoding that brings everything back to digital data while correcting any remaining mistakes. Includes algorithms.

In experiments, DNAFormer can read 100 megabytes of DNA storage data 90 times faster than the next fastest method developed with traditional rules-based computing algorithms, while achieving better or equivalent accuracy. I did. The decoded data included colored images of the test tube, a 24-second audio clip from astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous Moonlanding speech, and text on why DNA is a promising data storage medium .

The team says they plan to develop a version of DNAFormer tailored to new technologies for encoding data into DNA. Omar Savery Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

“Crucially, our approach doesn't rely specifically on us. [DNA] Synthesis or sequencing methods can be adapted to future, still undeveloped technologies that are more commercially viable,” he says.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Investigation: Characteristics of GD-1 Stellar Streams Induced by Self-Interacting Dark Matter Subhaloes

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A self-collapsing, self-interacting dark matter subhalo is a unique spur observed in GD-1, a stellar stream within the Milky Way’s galactic halo, according to a new study led by astronomers at the University of California, Riverside, and is responsible for the gap characteristics.

GD-1 exhibits spur and gap structures that may be attributed to its proximity with a dense substructure. Image credit: University of California, Riverside.

A stellar stream is a group of stars that collectively move along a shared orbit.

A gap refers to a local under-density of stars along the stream, whereas a spur refers to an excess of star density extending outward from the main body of the stream.

Because dark matter governs the movement of star streams, astronomers can use it to track the invisible dark matter in galaxies.

The Milky Way’s halo is a roughly spherical region surrounding our galaxy that contains dark matter and extends beyond the visible edge of our galaxy.

Astronomers discovered that the fulcrum and gap features of the GD-1 star stream cannot easily be attributed to the gravitational influence of the Milky Way’s known globular clusters or satellite galaxies.

However, these features may be explained by unknown perturbing objects such as subhalos.

But the object’s density would need to be significantly higher than that predicted by conventional cold dark matter (CDM) subhalos.

“CDM subhalos typically lack the density necessary to produce the unique features observed in GD-1 streams,” said Haibo Yu, a professor at the University of California, Riverside.

“However, our study shows that a subhalo of collapsing self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) can achieve the required density.”

“Such a compact subhalo would be dense enough to exert the gravitational effects necessary to explain the observed perturbations in the GD-1 flow.”

The currently popular dark matter theory, CDM, assumes that dark matter particles have no collisions.

SIDM, a theoretical form of dark matter, proposes that dark matter particles self-interact through new dark forces.

In the study, Professor Yu and his colleagues used a numerical simulation called N-body simulation to model the behavior of a collapsing SIDM subhalo.

“Our team’s findings provide a new explanation for the lobes and gap features observed on GD-1, long thought to indicate close encounters with dense objects. ” said Professor Yu.

“In our scenario, the perturbation source is the SIDM subhalo, which perturbs the spatial and velocity distribution of stars within the star stream, producing the unique features seen in the GD-1 star stream.”

The discovery also provides insight into the nature of dark matter itself.

“This study opens a promising new avenue to study the self-interaction properties of dark matter through stellar streams,” Professor Yu said.

“This represents an exciting step forward in our understanding of dark matter and the dynamics of the Milky Way.”

The full study will appear in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

_____

Zhang Xingyu others. 2025. GD-1 Stellar Stream Parter Bar as a self-interacting dark matter halo with a collapsed core. APJL 978, L23; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ada02b

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists discover proof of asymmetry between matter and antimatter in decay of baryons and beauty hadrons

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The standard model of particle physics predicts an asymmetry between matter and antimatter known as charge parity (CP) violation. However, the size of this asymmetry in the Standard Model is not large enough to explain the disequilibrium, and so far the asymmetry has only been observed in certain decays of particles called mesons. In two new studies, LHCb collaboration CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has discovered evidence of CP violation in baryon decay and beauty hadron decay into charmonium particles, shedding light on these two pieces of the matter-antimatter puzzle.

Exterior view of the LHCb detector. Image credit: CERN.

Experiments involving LHCb have previously searched for baryon CP violation by looking for differences in the way matter and antimatter baryons decay into other particles.

However, these investigations have so far been essentially empty-handed.

One LHCb study provided evidence for a process in the specific collapse of the bottom lambda baryon, but subsequent studies analyzing larger samples of such collapses did not increase that evidence.

in first new studyLHCb physicists scrutinized proton-proton collision data obtained during the first and second runs of the LHC and discovered various decay modes of the bottom lambda baryon, including decay into a lambda baryon and two kaons. You have searched for

We then investigated the CP violation in each decay mode, essentially by counting the number of decays of the bottom lambdabaryon and its antimatter partner and taking the difference between the two.

In the case of the lambda baryon and its decay into two kaons, this difference showed evidence of a CP violation with a significance of 3.2 standard deviations.

in second studythe LHCb team focused on the decay of a beautiful charged meson into J/psi and a charged pion.

J/psi is a charmmonium particle, a meson consisting of a charm quark and a charm antiquark.

We performed an analysis similar to the lower lambda baryon study, also using data from the first and second runs of the LHC, and found evidence for CP violation in this decay mode of charged meons. Again, the significance is 3.2 standard. Deviation.

This finding represents evidence of CP violation in the decay of beauty hadrons to charmonium particles.

“Our study represents an important step toward establishing whether CP violations are present in these types of collapses,” the authors state.

“Data from the high-luminosity LHC, with its third experiment and planned collider upgrades, will shed further light on these and other parts of the matter-antimatter puzzle. .”

_____

LHCb collaboration. 2024. Study of Λ0b and Ξ0b decay to Λh+h'- and evidence of CP violation in Λ0b→ΛK+K- decay. arXiv: 2411.15441

LHCb collaboration. 2024. First evidence of direct CP violation to charmonium decay in cosmetology. arXiv: 2411.12178

Source: www.sci.news

Astrophysicists study planets, asteroids, and primordial black holes in Earth’s matter

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Primordial black holes have been theorized for decades and may even be the eternally elusive dark matter. However, primordial black holes have not yet been observed. These tiny black holes could become trapped in rocky planets or asteroids, consuming their liquid cores from within and leaving hollow structures behind, according to a duo of astrophysicists from the University at Buffalo, Case Western Reserve University, and National Donghua University. It is said that there is. Alternatively, microtunnels could be left in very old rocks on Earth, or in the glass or other solid structures of very old buildings.

An artist's impression of a primordial black hole. Image credit: NASA.

Small primordial black holes are perhaps the most intriguing and intriguing relics of the early universe.

They could act as candidates for dark matter, be sources of primordial gravitational waves, and help solve cosmological problems such as domain walls and the magnetic monopole problem.

However, so far no convincing primordial black hole candidates have been observed.

Professor Dejan Stojković of the University at Buffalo said: “Although the chances of finding these signatures are low, the search does not require many resources and the potential reward of providing the first evidence of a primordial black hole is enormous. It's going to become something.”

“We need to think outside the box because what has been done so far to find primordial black holes has not worked.”

Professor Stojkovic and colleague Dr. De Zhang Dai, of Case Western Reserve University and National Donghua University, are investigating how large hollow asteroids can grow without collapsing, and whether a primordial black hole is The probability of passing was calculated. Earth.

“Because of such long odds, we have focused on hard traces that have existed for thousands, millions, or even billions of years,” Dr. Dai said. .

“If the object has a liquid central core, a trapped primordial black hole could absorb the liquid core, whose density is higher than that of the outer solid layer,” Professor Stojković added.

“In that case, if the object was hit by an asteroid, the primordial black hole could escape from the object, leaving only a hollow shell.”

But would such a shell be strong enough to support itself, or would it simply collapse under its own tension?

Comparing the strength of natural materials such as granite and iron to their surface tension and surface density, the researchers found that such hollow objects could be less than one-tenth the radius of the Earth, making them smaller than normal We calculated that it was more likely to be an asteroid than a planet. .

“If it gets any bigger, it will collapse,” Professor Stojković said.

“These hollow objects could potentially be detected with telescopes. The mass, and therefore the density, can be determined by studying the objects' trajectories.”

“If an object's density is too low for its size, that's a good sign that it's hollow.”

For objects without a liquid core, the primordial black hole could simply pass through, leaving a straight microtunnel behind.

For example, a primordial black hole with mass 10^{twenty two} grams, leaving a tunnel 0.1 microns thick.

Large slabs of metal or other materials could serve as effective black hole detectors by monitoring the sudden appearance of these tunnels, but very old materials from buildings that are hundreds of years old Searching for existing tunnels has a higher probability. From the oldest to rocks that are billions of years old.

Still, even assuming that dark matter is indeed composed of primordial black holes, they calculated that the probability that a primordial black hole would pass through a billion-year-old rock is 0.000001.

“You have to compare costs and benefits. Does it cost a lot of money to do this? No, it doesn't,” Professor Stojković said.

“So, to say the least, it's unlikely that a primordial black hole will pass through you during your lifetime. Even if you did, you probably wouldn't notice.”

“Unlike rocks, human tissue has a small amount of tension, so the primordial black hole won't tear it apart.”

“And while the kinetic energy of a primordial black hole may be huge, it is moving so fast that it cannot release much of that energy during a collision.”

“If a projectile is moving through a medium faster than the speed of sound, the molecular structure of the medium has no time to react.”

“If you throw a rock through a window, it will probably break. If you shoot a window with a gun, it will probably just leave a hole.”

team's paper Published in a magazine physics of the dark universe.

_____

De Chan Dai and Dejan Stojković. 2024. We're looking for planets, asteroids, and tiny primordial black holes on Earth. physics of the dark universe 46: 101662;doi: 10.1016/j.dark.2024.101662

Source: www.sci.news

Physicists Find Indications of Superfluidity in Low-Density Neutronic Matter

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Accurate description of low-density nuclear matter is critical to explaining the physics of the neutron star’s crust, according to a team of theoretical physicists led by Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Alessandro Lovato.

Fore others. We study the crust of neutron stars by simulating neutron matter and then adding “hidden” neutrons that mediate interactions between “real” neutrons. The neural network then constructs quantum wave functions for the normal and superfluid phases of neutronic matter. Image credit: Jane Kim, Ohio University.

The inner crust of a neutron star is characteristic Due to the existence of neutron superfluid.

A superfluid is a fluid that has no viscosity. In a neutron star, this means that the superfluid allows neutrons to flow without resistance.

To accurately predict the properties of neutronic matter at the lowest energy levels in this low-density form, researchers typically perform theoretical calculations that assume that neutrons combine to form Cooper pairs.

“The low-density nuclear material found in the crust of neutron stars exhibits complex and interesting structures that vary greatly with density,” Lovato and colleagues said.

“In the outer shell, the nucleons are bound to fully ionized nuclei. As the density increases within this region, these nuclei become increasingly neutron-rich, so in ground-based experiments they are present at lower densities. It is only possible to directly determine the main nuclides that

physicist used Artificial neural networks do not rely on this assumption to make accurate predictions.

They modified the standard “single particle” approach by introducing “hidden” neutrons that facilitate interactions between “real” neutrons and encode quantum many-body correlations.

This allows Cooper pairs to appear naturally during calculations.

“Understanding neutron superfluidity provides important insights into neutron stars,” the researchers said.

“This reveals phenomena such as its cooling mechanisms, rotation, and sudden changes in rotational speed.”

“Although we cannot directly access neutron star material experimentally, the fundamental interactions that govern the behavior of this material are the same as those that govern the nuclei of atoms on Earth.”

“Researchers are working to create simple yet predictable nuclear interactions.”

“Solving the quantum many-body problem accurately is an important part of assessing the quality of these interactions.”

“Our study uses simple interactions that are in good agreement with previous calculations that assumed more complex interactions.”

Low-density neutronic matter is characterized by fascinating emergent quantum phenomena, such as the formation of Cooper pairs and the onset of superfluidity.

“We used a combination of artificial neural networks and advanced optimization techniques to study this dense region,” the scientists said.

“Using a simplified model of the interaction between neutrons, we calculated the energy per particle and compared the results with those obtained from very realistic interactions.”

“This approach is competitive compared to other computational techniques at a fraction of the cost.”

_____

Bryce Foer others. 2024. Investigating the crust of a neutron star with the quantum state of a neural network. arXiv: 2407.21207

Bryce Foer others. 2023. Diluting neutron star material from quantum states in neural networks. Physics. Rev. Research 5(3):033062;doi: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033062

Source: www.sci.news

This Surprising Find in the Universe Could Finally Unlock the Dark Matter Mystery

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Evidence of antimatter in cosmic rays has been discovered by scientists, suggesting the potential existence of a new type of particle. These particles could be a part of dark matter, a mysterious substance that makes up 85 percent of the universe’s mass but has never been directly observed.

undefined

A recent study indicates that antihelium particles, the antimatter form of helium, detected by instruments on the International Space Station may have originated from a new class of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). It is believed that dark matter could be made up of WIMPs.

“WIMP is a theoretical particle that could potentially be a perfect candidate for dark matter,” explained lead author Pedro de la Torre Luque, a physicist supporting research at the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Madrid. “Many proposed models have been ruled out, leaving only a few surviving theories.”

The antihelium core observed during cosmic ray research on the space station’s alpha magnetic spectrometer (AMS-02) may have been the result of two WIMPs colliding and annihilating each other. This collision could have generated matter, antimatter, and energy.

Antimatter is essentially the “mirror image” of normal matter, with the same mass but opposite properties such as charge.

While some antimatter may have been created during the Big Bang, researchers believe that additional antimatter is continuously generated by specific cosmic events, although it is challenging to observe.

“The observation of antihelium was thrilling because it indicates an unusual phenomenon occurring in the interstellar medium, where the production of antiparticles is unexpected,” stated De La Torre Luque.

“Theoretical forecasts suggest that even though cosmic rays interact with interstellar gas to produce antiparticles, the presence of antinuclei, particularly antihelium, should be extremely rare.”

“We anticipated discovering an antihelium event once every few decades, but the approximately 10 antihelium events observed by AMS-02 resulted from standard cosmic ray interactions. Therefore, these antihelium occurrences provide a promising clue to WIMP annihilation.”

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Huge Search Yields Zero Results, Dealing Another Blow to Dark Matter

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Sensor array for the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiment in South Dakota

Matthew Kapust/Sanford Underground Research Facility

The latest search for dark matter has so far been fruitless, but the good news is that it has allowed physicists to place the toughest constraints yet on the properties of this mysterious substance. New measurements from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment in South Dakota mean that we are closer than ever to finding dark matter particles, or that we have refuted the most likely explanation.

Dark matter is invisible to the naked eye because it does not interact significantly with normal matter or light. We only know that dark matter exists through its gravitational effects, which tell us that it makes up more than 80 percent of all matter. The leading explanation for dark matter has been that it is composed of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), but searches for these fundamental entities have yet to turn up anything.

LUX-ZEPLIN is a dark matter detector made of seven tonnes of liquid xenon buried 1.5 kilometres underground and is the most sensitive to date, but after 280 days of searching it has yet to find any WIMPs. “We are number one in the world at not finding dark matter,” says an LZ spokesman. Chamkaur Gag At University College London.

While this result may seem disappointing, it allows physicists to place tight constraints on the nature of dark matter, narrowing the range of properties it could have. The constraints are nearly five times tighter than the best known, significantly limiting the possibility of WIMPs. The work was presented at two physics conferences. TeV Particle Astrophysics In the United States lysine It will be held in Brazil on August 26th.

“It’s like they say there’s a magic fish in the ocean, but we don’t know where it is,” Gag says. “You go in and swim around, you get out, you snorkel around, and you still don’t find it, so you use a submarine.” If the magic fish is a WIMP, he says, researchers have explored about 75 percent of the oceans and still haven’t found it.

“This is the next big step forward, one in a long line of such steps.” Dan Hooper “It’s probably fair to say that at any of these steps forward we can’t expect to see anything, but it doesn’t seem unlikely that we’ll see something if we take enough of these steps,” said David G. Schneider, a researcher at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois who was not involved in the study.

At this point, many of the initially popular ideas for possible types of WIMPs have been ruled out. There are still a few left, but LZ isn’t done yet. It plans to observe for a total of 1,000 days before wrapping up in 2028. “If LZ doesn’t detect a WIMP, and our next-generation detector, XLZD, doesn’t detect a WIMP, then WIMPs are over,” Gag says. The XLZD project is still in the planning stages.

If WIMPs don’t constitute dark matter, it would be a major paradigm shift, but physicists aren’t giving up on finding dark matter entirely. “If you’re trying to solve a murder investigation and you have 20 suspects, 10 of them are unaware,” he says. [alibis]”We don’t go, ‘Oh, it looks like it wasn’t a murder.’ We just get a better idea of who the right suspects are,” Hooper said. “We take some suspects off our list, we narrow the scope of the investigation, we narrow the focus. That’s what progress looks like in this field.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com