admin Dark Matter Hurricane: A golden opportunity to study the elusive substance
A fast current flowing through the Milky Way.
Currently, a “Dark Matter Hurricane” is passing through a corner of the Milky Way galaxy and tearing apart the Earth reading this. The fast flow could reveal important, previously unknown details about dark matter, according to new research published in Physical Review D.
Best Opportunity to Study Dark Matter
Astronomers say a dark matter hurricane is heading full speed toward Earth, giving us the best opportunity to study the elusive matter that dot the universe. claiming to be out. This startling discovery by Syran Ojea of the University of Zaragoza has the potential to greatly improve our understanding of dark matter.
Sinking into the Remnant of an Ancient Galaxy
This study suggests that our entire solar system is about to ‘sink’ into the remnant of an ancient galaxy that has long been swallowed by the Milky Way. We know very little about dark matter, but we do know that all galaxies are surrounded by dark matter. As the Sun and its planets move around the Milky Way, our entire system moves through the dark matter halo at a speed of 230 km/s, generating high-velocity dark matter ‘winds’ in the process.
The S1 Stream and Its Impact
Last year, the European Space Agency’s GAIA satellite measured the motions of many nearby stars and discovered a previously unknown ‘stream’ called S1. Subsequent calculations revealed that S1 is the remnant of a small dwarf galaxy that long ago cannibalized the Milky Way.
O’Hare’s new study finds that 10 billion solar-mass dark matter is moving along S1 and, most importantly, directly towards our position in the universe. When this dark matter reaches us, it collides with the sun and all dark matter detectors on Earth at speeds exceeding 500 kilometers per second (km/s). This is twice the speed of the Milky Way’s “normal” dark matter wind.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Dark Matter
While this phenomenon does not pose a threat to humanity, it provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about the invisible matter that accounts for a quarter of the total mass and energy of the universe. Physicist Pierre Siquivy has calculated that the ultralight particles that make up dark matter, called axions, can become visible photons in the presence of strong magnetic fields. This will enable the scientific community to discover and study them, potentially unlocking the mysteries of this elusive substance.
