Astrophysicists propose that \”gravitational gates\” can turn dark matter into ordinary matter

Astrophysicists have an idea that could help solve two mysteries: the reason for the unusual abundance of ultra-high-energy radiation emanating from the center of our galaxy and that has baffled the world since its discovery nearly 50 years ago The identity of dark matter.

This idea has a super cool name: Gravity Portal. The idea is that when two dark matter particles (whatever they are) are sucked into one of the portals, they annihilate each other and spit out surprisingly strong gamma rays.

This line of thinking could potentially explain why the dense clump of dark matter at the center of the Milky Way, where dense clumps of dark matter are thought to lurk, is filled with gamma rays; it could reveal dark matter behavior and may occasionally interact with normal matter in our universe.

What is dark matter

More than 80% of the matter in our universe is in a form unknown to the Standard Model of particle physics. Scientists call it \”dark matter\” because it doesn\’t interact with light. The first hints of dark matter\’s existence came in the 1970s, when astronomer Vera Rubin noticed that galaxies were spinning too fast, and that they would have been there without an additional, hidden source of gravity. Tearing itself apart eons ago.

For decades, astronomers wondered whether they needed to change their understanding of gravity, add more regular but truly dim matter to the universe, or add an entirely new ingredient. But year after year, observation after observation limits people’s choices. Modified gravity theory cannot explain all observations. Physicists have placed tight limits on the amount of normal matter (bright, dim, and everything in between) in the universe.

This leaves dark matter to explain high-speed galaxies. This substance would be a new type of particle, with some unknown identities. It doesn\’t interact with light, otherwise we would have seen it by now. It does not interact with the powerful nuclear force, which holds particles of matter together, or else scientists would detect its effects in atomic experiments. It might talk to a weak nuclear force, but that force is so weak and short-range that any bias in the expected results would be observedThe differences are all challenging.

Trillions of dark matter particles may be flowing through your body right now, invisible and silent.

However, dark matter betrays its presence through gravity, because every form of mass and energy in the universe exerts some gravitational influence. Therefore, the only reliable way to study dark matter is through its gravitational interactions with normal matter, such as the motion of stars within galaxies.

But maybe there is another way.

The situation with excess electrons

In a study published on January 28 on the preprint database arXiv, physicists proposed a New theories to explain what dark matter is and how it behaves. But before we delve into their ideas, we have to introduce one more clue to the search for dark matter. The clue comes from the abundance of strange gamma rays observed at the center of our galaxy.

Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of radiation possible, and they are typically produced only during severe high-energy events, such as stars going supernova. But considering how rare such catastrophic events are, there are more gamma rays at the center of the Milky Way than you might think. Therefore, this theory proposes that gamma rays may be a by-product of high-energy electrons.

These high-energy electrons are particles called leptons, which are more easily produced directly than gamma rays. They are emitted from some source and spread throughout the center of the galaxy. Electrons themselves are undetectable (they are very, very tiny), but as they flood interstellar space, they occasionally hit a randomly passing photon (a light particle).

The photon, most likely something harmless and low-energy, collided with the offending electron; this collision greatly increased the energy of the photon, which started emitting the gamma rays we can see.

These collisions may explain the excess gamma rays, but where do these high-energy electrons come from?

Jumping in the Gate

Let’s review what we know. First, dark matter interacts only through gravity. Two high-energy leptons floating in the center of the galaxy could explain the extra gamma rays we see there. Third, because we have the highest density of matter in the core of our own galaxy, we think there is a large concentration of dark matter there as well.

Coincidence? Or a conspiracy?

The connection between the two observations has a pretty awesome name: lightweight gravity portal, as researchers from the China Key Laboratory of Astrophysics detailed in their arXiv paper That way. The study has yet to be peer-reviewed.

Let\’s start with \”Gravity Entrance\”. As far as we know, gravity only attracts objects. The Earth pulls on the Moon; the Sun pulls on the Earth; the stars in the galaxy pull on each other, and so on. Gravity pulls objects very well.

So on the surface, gravity has an effect on dark matterThe only role of mass is gravity.

But our understanding of gravity is incomplete. Physics can explain the effects of gravity on large scales, but there is no so-called quantum theory of gravity that can describe the effects of strong gravity on very small scales. In this case, gravity may hold some surprises.

Other forces in nature destroy, transform and create particles all the time. For example, the weak nuclear force can convert protons into neutrons, triggering radioactive decay. A particle and its antiparticle can be connected by the electromagnetic force and annihilate each other in a single radiation.

So in extreme cases, gravity could bring two dark matter particles together, destroy them, and turn them into anything.

Perhaps these dark matter particles can be converted into leptons, according to a theoretical model proposed by the researchers.

According to the new theory, dark matter particles occasionally annihilate each other through accidental gravitational interactions. These accidental interactions are known in physics terms as \”gravity gates\” because they provide a way for particles to interact through gravity alone. The products of the collision are high-energy electrons. These interactions are more prevalent in the centers of galaxies, where the density of dark matter is likely to be highest. These electrons then keep moving, eventually hitting a low-energy photon that turns into a gamma ray, causing the excess we observe.

Yes, this idea is too exaggerated. But given that physicists are still in the dark over the identity of dark matter, new ideas are always welcome. This theory was specifically designed to work with the observation of gamma rays. But once the door is opened, allowing dark matter particles to transform into regular matter (in this case, leptons), more theoretical work can be done to see if there are other ways to test the theory.