Popular Articles
Today Week Month Year


Scientists suggest “gravity portals” can turn dark matter into ordinary matter
By Virgilio Marin // Apr 22, 2022

Over 80 percent of the matter in the universe exists in a form that scientists cannot directly observe. Known as "dark matter," this mysterious substance cannot be seen or detected by even the most powerful telescopes. Now, a recent study shows what potentially happens to dark matter when it interacts with gravity.

Brighteon.TV

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences propose the existence of "gravity portals," where the sheer pull of gravity brings two dark matter particles (whatever they are) together and destroy them. This process, in turn, produces ordinary, observable particles that could collide with other particles to produce powerful gamma rays.

What is dark matter?

There is no direct evidence for dark matter, but scientists agree that it exists in all likelihood based on observations. In the 1970s, astronomers studying spiral galaxies expected to see objects in the galactic center to move faster than on the outer edges. To their surprise, stars in both locations traveled at the same velocities.

This suggests that galaxies contain more matter than could be seen. Without additional matter to generate gravity, galaxy clusters would have flown apart.

Since the discovery, there have been many attempts to come up with a modified theory of gravity to account for this extra matter. Yet all of them fell short, and each new measurement showed that there is only so much ordinary matter (that is, anything made up of a proton, electron and neutron) in the cosmos.

So this extra matter must exist and it interacts only with gravity. Astronomers call this extra matter "dark matter" because it cannot be seen or observed through telescopes. It does not emit, absorb or reflect light nor does it interact with any known particle and any other force of nature.

The link between dark matter and gamma rays

In its essence, the study could help crack the nature of dark matter and explain why gamma rays are so abundant in the center of galaxies.

Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of radiation possible. They commonly come into existence from extremely high-energy events, such as stars going supernova. However, there are more gamma rays in the galactic center than there ought to be given how rare such cataclysmic events are.

Now, researchers suggest that gamma rays may have originated in part from the destruction of dark matter through gravity.

In a paper posted on the preprint website arXiv, the team posited that chance gravity interactions can bring dark matter particles together and annihilate them in the process. Those chance interactions are known as "gravity portals" because they offer a way for particles to interact through gravity alone. They are likely more common in the galactic center, where dark matter is thought to occur in higher concentrations.

In turn, the collision of two dark matter particles can produce high-energy electrons called "leptons," which are known to travel throughout the galactic center. When leptons slam into low-energy photons floating around the cosmos, the researchers posit, the collision can boost the latter's energy to the extent that the photons begin to give off gamma rays. (Related: Challenging assumptions about the universe: Study suggests black holes could be made of dark energy.)

In sum, the study shows how dark matter potentially behaves and where some of the gamma rays in the galactic center might have come from. While the study's findings are theoretical, they can greatly advance our understanding of some of the most mysterious properties of the universe.

Read more fascinating studies about the cosmos at Cosmic.news.

Sources include:

LiveScience.com

Space.com



Take Action:
Support NewsTarget by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NewsTarget.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.

NewsTarget.com © 2022 All Rights Reserved. All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. NewsTarget.com is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. NewsTarget.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published on this site. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
News Target uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.