Dark Matter Exposed? Gamma-Ray Find Excites Scientists
by Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Assistant Managing Editor
Date: 15 August 2012 Time: 04:51 PM ET
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The galactic center as seen from the ESO La Silla Paranal Observatory in Northern Chile. CREDIT: ESO |
Energetic light seen radiating from the center of the Milky Way may be the best evidence yet of dark matter, the invisible stuff thought to be hiding throughout the universe.
A new study has found a strong signal of gamma-rays — light of a very short wavelength — coming from the middle of our galaxy, which may be the result of exploding dark matter.
Scientists think dark matter, which seemingly makes up the majority of matter in the universe, is made of particles called WIMPs ("weakly interacting massive particles"). And WIMPs, when they get very close to other WIMPs, should annihilate each other, because these particles are thought to be their own antiparticles. (When particles of matter and their antimatter counterparts meet, they destroy each other.)
MORE: http://www.space.com/17133-dark-matter-annihilation-gamma-rays.html
Source: Space.com
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