HAS DARK MATTER FINALLY BEEN DETECTED?

📎 SPACE TODAY STORE: https://www.spacetodaystore.com.br 📎 MASTER CITIZENSHIP: WEBSITE: https://mastercidadania.com.br INSTAGRAM:   / master.cidadania   🌌 HAVE WE FINALLY DISCOVERED DARK MATTER AT THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY? Researchers at Johns Hopkins University may have found the first real evidence of the existence of dark matter! A mysterious glow of gamma rays at the center of the Milky Way has puzzled scientists for decades, and now we have a surprising answer. 🔬 WHAT WAS DISCOVERED? For years, astronomers have observed a diffuse and mysterious emission of gamma rays coming from the heart of our galaxy. Two competing theories were trying to explain this phenomenon: 1️⃣ Dark matter particle collisions 2️⃣ Rapidly spinning neutron stars (millisecond pulsars) Now, using supercomputers to create detailed maps of the distribution of dark matter in the Milky Way, researchers have discovered something incredible: both theories are equally likely! 🌟 WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? Dark matter makes up about 85% of all matter in the universe, but we've never been able to detect it directly. It's invisible, doesn't interact with light, but its gravity holds galaxies together. If this gamma-ray glow really does come from dark matter particle collisions, it would be the FIRST DIRECT PROOF of its existence! As Professor Joseph Silk said: "Dark matter dominates the universe and holds galaxies together. It's incredibly important, and we're constantly thinking desperately about how we might detect it." 🔭 HOW DID THEY MAKE THE DISCOVERY? The international team of researchers: • Used supercomputers to simulate the formation of the Milky Way • For the first time, they considered the complete history of how our galaxy formed • Considered that in the first billion years, smaller galaxy systems entered and became the building blocks of the young Milky Way • Discovered that as dark matter particles gravitated toward the center of the galaxy and clustered together, the number of collisions increased When the researchers included these more realistic collisions, their simulated maps perfectly matched the actual gamma-ray maps taken by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope! ⚡ THE PARADOX Here's the problem: gamma rays from dark matter particle collisions would produce exactly the same signal and have the same properties as those observed in the real world. BUT... millisecond pulsars (old, rapidly rotating neutron stars) could also explain the existing gamma-ray map! The pulsar theory has a flaw: to make the calculations work, researchers need to assume there are MORE millisecond pulsars than have been observed. 🚀 WHAT'S NEXT? The answer may come with the construction of a new giant gamma-ray telescope called the Cherenkov Telescope Array. Researchers believe data from this high-resolution telescope, which can measure high-energy signals, will help astrophysicists break the paradox. The team is planning a new experiment to test whether these gamma rays from the Milky Way have: • Higher energies = millisecond pulsars • Lower energies = product of dark matter collisions "A clean signal would be a smoking gun, in my opinion," said Silk. 🌌 NEXT STEPS Meanwhile, the researchers will work on predictions about where they should find dark matter in several selected dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. Once they map their predictions, they can compare them to the high-resolution data. "It's possible we'll see the new data and confirm one theory over the other," Silk said. "Or maybe we won't find anything, in which case it will be an even bigger mystery to solve." 📚 SCIENTIFIC REFERENCE Moorits Mihkel Muru et al., "Fermi-LAT Galactic Center Excess Morphology of Dark Matter in Simulations of the Milky Way Galaxy," Physical Review Letters (2025) DOI: 10.1103/g9qz-h8wd Source: Johns Hopkins University via Phys.org Link: https://phys.org/news/2025-10-mysteri... #DarkMatter #MilkyWay #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Science #GammaRays #JohnsHopkins #Discovery #Universe #Galaxy #QuantumPhysics #Cosmology #Telescope #NASA #Fermi #CherenkovTelescope PRESENTATION: Sérgio Sacani • X: @spacetoday1 • Instagram: @spacetoday1 MARKETING & CONTENT: Beattriz Gonçalves • Instagram: @soubiagoncalves • LinkedIn: /in/beattrizgoncalves PRODUCTION: Gabriela Augusta • Instagram: @gabiaugusta_ EDITING: Alexandre Ziolkowski • Instagram: @thealexandrez PHOTOGRAPHY: Caroline Oliveira • Instagram: @carolineoliveirafotos