Scientists claim to provide first direct evidence of dark matter
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\nA new study claims to provide the first direct evidence of dark matter, marking what researchers say could be a pivotal moment in the decades-long search for the elusive substance, The Guardian reported.<\/p>\n
In findings published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, University of Tokyo astrophysicist Prof Tomonori Totani says gamma-ray data from NASA\u2019s Fermi Space Telescope appear to match the shape of the Milky Way\u2019s predicted dark-matter halo. The signal, he argues, fits models in which dark matter consists of heavy weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that annihilate on collision and emit gamma rays.<\/p>\n
Totani told The Guardian the pattern \u201cclosely matches\u201d theoretical expectations and could represent a \u201ccrucial breakthrough\u201d in understanding material thought to make up 27% of the universe.<\/p>\n
However, scientists urge caution. Prof Justin Read of the University of Surrey noted that the absence of similar signals from dwarf galaxies argues against a dark-matter origin, while UCL\u2019s Prof Kinwah Wu said the claim requires \u201cextraordinary evidence\u201d before it can be accepted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Scientists claim to provide first direct evidence of dark matter —————————- A new study claims to provide the first direct evidence of dark matter, marking what researchers say could be a pivotal moment in the decades-long search for the elusive substance, The Guardian reported. In findings published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"yoast_head":"\n