Chinese satellite ‘breakthrough’ in search for dark matter
Probe has detected cosmic rays that may help prove the existence of a mysterious substance which scientists believe comprises a quarter of the universe
Scientists have detected cosmic ray energy readings that could bring them closer to proving the existence of dark matter, a mysterious substance believed to comprise a quarter of our universe, a study said on Thursday.
Probably made up of unknown subatomic material, dark matter is invisible to telescopes and can be perceived only through its gravitational pull on other objects in the universe.
Beijing’s first astronomical satellite launched two years ago detected 1.5 million cosmic ray electrons and protons, the study said, and unprecedented measurements found curiously low-energy rays.
The team of researchers from China, Switzerland and Italy, who published their first results in the journal Nature, said the data may cast light on “the annihilation or decay of particle dark matter”.
“This new unseen phenomena can bring breakthroughs,” Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said at a briefing.
“After collecting more data, if we can identify it is dark matter for sure then that is very significant. And if not, it is even more significant because they would be fresh new particles that no one had predicted before,” Bai added, to applause from fellow scientists.