Detected possible signs of dark matter – La Vanguardia

Madrid. (EP) .- Scientific Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology (psi) and Leiden University have collected an issue of atypical X-ray photons from space that could be a evidence stock particle Dark Matter .

When physicists study the dynamics of galaxies and the movement of star 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, as a whole, interacting through 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 Perseus cluster of galaxies and galaxy Andromeda

After They collected thousands of signals through the telescope of the European Space Agency (ESA) XMM-Newton, and eliminate all particles and atoms known, detected an anomaly that, even considering the possibility of measurement error of the instrument, called them 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 discovery was 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.