A new type of dark matter

The mystery of dark matter is one of the great unknowns that pursue the scientific community. Well, now this mystery could be folded. And it is that a group of researchers claims to have found indications of a second type of dark matter.

Dark matter 2.0: A group of researchers has postulated A unique hypothesis to explain a chemical phenomenon observed in the central area of ​​our galaxy. Its proposal implies the existence of a new type of dark matter.

“Loaded” hydrogen. The focus of the mystery is found in hydrogen clouds located near the center of our galaxy. What makes these clouds an enigma is the fact that they are positively loaded, that is, hydrogen atoms in them have lost their electrons.

The problem is that we do not know what has caused the ionization of these clouds, what an energy enough event could the electrons of their atoms start. As explained Those responsible for the study, the “energy firms” that reach us from this region of the galaxy suggest the existence of “a constant, turbulent energy source.” The explanation to this phenomenon proposed by the team is related to dark matter, but has an important nuance.

WIMP Dark matter is a key element of cosmological models that attempts to explain some anomalies detected in the movement of large space bodies, such as galaxies.

Dark matter would represent about 85% of all matter existing in the universe and would only interact with the rest of the matter through gravity, hence we have not yet been able to detect it in another way other than through gravitational movements.

One of the hypotheses that try to explain this phenomenon focuses on the so -called massive particles of weak interaction or WIMP (Weakly interacting massive partners). The new study indicates that these would not be responsible for what happens in the center of the galaxy.

Mass of mass. The responsible team postulates that the particles responsible for ionizing hydrogen clouds are actually A new type of dark mattercharacterized by having a much lower dough than the WIMP would have.

The new hypothesis postulates that these “tiny particles” would collide with each other producing in these charged particles, a physical process called “annihilation.” It would be in turn these charged particles that would be ionizing the gas clouds.

The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Physical Review Letters.

Alternative hypothesis. As the team points out, so far the main suspects of this phenomenon were cosmic rays. The team maintains that the new theory explains the phenomenon with greater precision.

And, according to the observations, the “energy firm” of the phenomena observed in this region does not seem intense enough to be attributed to the phenomenon of cosmic rays. This implies that the cause of this “annihilation” must be “slower than a cosmic and less massive ray than a wimp.”

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Image | Nick Risinger