Astrophysicists Carlos Blanco and Rebecca Leane, from Princeton University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, have potentially discovered evidence of dark matter particles colliding. Their research, published in Physical Review Letters, involved studying Jupiter’s equatorial region at night to minimize the influence of auroras.
Dark matter, first proposed in the 1930s, is a hypothetical form of matter that is believed to make up approximately 70% to 80% of all matter in the universe. Although it has not been directly detected, it is the most plausible explanation for gravitational effects observed in galaxy motion and the movement of stars.
The researchers theorize that dark matter particles might be detected indirectly by identifying the heat or light emitted when they collide and annihilate each other. In this study, they suggest that dark matter particles are attracted to Jupiter by its strong gravity and collide with its ionosphere, potentially producing light.
To confirm their theory, the researchers analyzed data captured by the Cassini probe’s Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer over a three-hour period. They focused on measurements of the night-side planet over its equatorial region, believing this would minimize the impact of Jupiter’s aurora.
The researchers were looking for more H3+ than could be explained by other means, as theories suggest it would be produced by dark matter particles after colliding. They did find H3+, but it is still unclear if the amounts they measured were more than could have been generated by other means. Therefore, they plan to continue their work, hoping to find evidence that the H3+ was generated by dark matter collisions.
For further information, readers can refer to the research article titled “Search for Dark Matter Ionization on the Night Side of Jupiter with Cassini,” published in Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.261002. The research was copyrighted by the Science X Network in 2024.
