COSMOS MAGAZINE
Credit: Denis Degioanni
Unexplained chemical reactions observed at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy could be caused by the existence of a type of dark matter not accounted for in current physics.
Scientists have observed large clouds of positively charged hydrogen in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), but they don’t know what’s providing the energy to strip electrons from the gas.
They first thought high-energy space particles (cosmic rays) were responsible, but there isn’t enough energy in the area for that to be the case.
Credit: Denis Degioanni
Researchers propose that a new, lighter form of dark matter could be causing the unexplained ionisation.
Dark matter makes up 85% of the universe’s matter, yet it's never been directly detected. This new theory about the strange processes in the heart of the Milky Way could help explain the nature of dark matter.
Instead of searching for dark matter on Earth, looking at our galaxy’s center might help solve one of the biggest space mysteries.