Detect possible signs of dark matter – Newspaper

Thursday, December 11, 2014 – 18:50

Scientists Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology (psi) University and Leiden have picked up an issue of atypical X-ray photons from space that could be evidence of the existence of dark matter particle.

When physicists study the dynamics of galaxies and the movement of the stars, they face a challenge. If they can only be considered for this visible matter, their equations do not add up: the elements that can be observed are not sufficient to explain the rotation of objects and existing gravitational forces. There’s something missing.

From this it follows that there must be an invisible type of matter that does not interact with light, but, overall, interact via gravitational force. Called ‘dark matter’, this substance seems to represent at least 80 percent of the universe.

Recently, two groups have announced their detection. One, led by scientists psi, Oleg Ruchayskiy and Alexey Boyarsky, they found when analyzing the X-rays emitted by two celestial objects: the galaxy cluster in Perseus and Andromeda galaxy. After having collected thousands of signals through the telescope XMM-Newton European Space Agency (ESA), and eliminate all particles and atoms known, detected an anomaly that, even considering the possibility of measurement error of the instrument, they drew attention.

The signal appears in the X-ray spectrum as a weak photon emission atypical could not be attributed to any known form of matter. “The distribution of the signal within the galaxy corresponds exactly to what we were expecting with dark, ie, concentrated and intense matter at the center of the objects and weaker and more diffuse around the edges,” said Ruchayskiy.

“In order to verify our results, then analyzed the data of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and have made the same observations,” added his companion Boyarsky.

The signal, whose findings have been published in ‘Arxiv.org’, comes from a very rare event in the universe. It is a sterile neutrino, a photon emitted due to the destruction of a hypothetical particle.

If confirmed the discovery opens new avenues of research in particle physics. Aside from that, “could usher in a new era in astronomy,” Ruchayskiy indicated.