Scientists Spot Gamma‑Ray Halo That Could Be Dark Matter
Professor Tomonori Totani leads a team at the University of Tokyo. They have examined 15 years of data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma‑ray Space Telescope. They found a halo of 20‑GeV gamma rays surrounding the Milky Way’s centre . The shape matches the distribution expected from a dark‑matter halo .
If the signal is due to annihilating WIMPs, it would be significant. It would mark the first direct detection of the universe’s unseen dominant matter. Such a discovery would let humanity “see” dark matter for the first time.
However, the researchers stress that the result is tentative . More data and independent analysis are required before the claim can be verified .
Other astrophysical sources could mimic the signal. Pulsars, galactic gas, and cosmic‑ray interactions are still possible explanations .
Dark matter is thought to be about five times more abundant than ordinary matter. However, it has never been observed directly. The leading candidate, a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP), would annihilate into gamma rays .
The study adds to a long line of inconclusive hints. This includes the previously disputed gamma-ray excess in the Milky Way.
The paper appears in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. It notes that confirmation may come from dwarf galaxies. Other dark-matter-rich regions could also provide confirmation.
What’s next?
Scientists plan to re‑analyse the Fermi data and to search for the same signature in nearby dwarf galaxies
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