Researchers from Universidade of Tóquio analyzed data from Telescópio Espacial of Raios Gama Fermi, of Nasa, and identified excess gamma radiation coming from the center of The signal presents characteristics compatible with the annihilation of dark matter particles, a phenomenon predicted by theoretical models for decades.
The detection occurred in a region covering about 100 degrees around the galactic center, after removing known sources of gamma rays. The study was published in the journal Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.
The work still awaits independent confirmation by other teams, as conventional astrophysical phenomena can generate similar signals.
Origin of excess gamma rays
Scientists have subtracted from the galactic map all known contributions, such as pulsars, supernova remnants and cosmic microwave background radiation. What remained was a diffuse signal with an energy of a few GeV, concentrated in the galactic halo.
This pattern coincides with predictions for WIMP (weakly interacting massive particle) dark matter particles that annihilate each other and produce pairs of gamma rays.
Observed emission profile
The energy spectrum peaks around 2 to 10 GeV. The spatial distribution follows the quadratic profile expected for dark matter density (ρ²). The intensity is greatest in the galactic center and gradually decreases toward outer regions. The signal remains even after applying different astrophysical background models.
History of searches for dark matter
Fritz Zwicky proposed the existence of dark matter in 1933 by observing the movement of galaxies in the Coma cluster. Vera Rubin confirmed the phenomenon in the 1970s with rotation curves of spiral galaxies
Methodology used in the study
The team used 14 years of data collected by the LAT instrument on the Fermi telescope. Aplicaram advanced background subtraction techniques developed over the last five years. Testaram more than 100 different models for known gamma ray sources. The residual signal remained statistically significant in all analyses.
Next steps of the research
Observatories such as the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be able to verify the signal with greater sensitivity. Experimentos complementary indirects continue analyzing antimatter and neutrino data. Confirmation will require convergence of multiple independent pieces of evidence.
Importance to particle physics
If confirmed, the detection would indicate the existence of a new particle in addition to Modelo Padrão. The estimated mass of the particle would be in the range of tens to hundreds of GeV/c². The finding would open the way to understanding the majority composition of the universe and the formation of cosmic structures since Big Bang.
The detected signal represents the strongest candidate for direct evidence of dark matter to date, although the scientific community remains cautious until further validation.