For over a century, one of the most mysterious components of the universe, dark matter, has kept scientists perplexed due to its enigmatic nature.
Finally after a 100-years long search, the researchers may have finally seen the existence of dark matter, the elusive substance that makes up 27 percent of the cosmic world.
According to findings published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics on November 25, a team led by Tomonori Totani of the University of Tokyo has unlocked this nearly-impossible breakthrough for the very first time.
By using gamma-ray data from NASA’s Fermi Space Telescope, the researchers have finally detected the signs of colliding dark matter particles.
“This could be a crucial breakthrough in unraveling the nature of dark matter,” said Prof Tomonori Totani.
According to the astrophysicist, these gamma rays emanating from the centre of the Milky Way contain evidence of the substance.
As per observations, the spatial distribution and energy coming from our galaxy are equivalent to theoretical model calculations for dark matter particles.
“The gamma-ray emission component closely matches the shape expected from the dark-matter halo,” Totani said.
First described in the 1930s by the Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky, when he observed the higher spinning rate of the distant galaxies than their mass allowed, thereby leading to the idea of dark matter.
Being elusive in nature, dark matter neither emits nor absorbs light. It is also known for exerting an unseen gravitational pull on the surrounding galaxies.
“If this is correct, to the extent of my knowledge, it would mark the first time humanity has ‘seen’ dark matter,” Totani added.
