Astrophysicist Prof. Tomonori Totani Claims Gamma-Ray Pattern From Milky Way Center Strengthens The Dark Matter First Trace Found Hypothesis
TOKYO / WASHINGTON – Nearly a century ago, scientists first proposed the existence of a mysterious, invisible substance they called “dark matter,” which pervades galaxies and creates a powerful gravitational influence. Decades later, the question of what dark matter is remains unanswered, but now, the first direct evidence for this cosmic web may finally have been found.
📜 Historical Background And Failed Experiments
The idea of dark matter first gained traction in the 1930s when Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky noticed that galaxies were rotating far faster than their visible mass suggested.
- Invisible Mass: The theory suggests dark matter emits no light and absorbs no light, yet exerts a powerful gravitational pull. It is thought to cluster around galaxies, turning the universe into a massive cosmic web.
- The Search Failure: Decades of experiments, including giant particle colliders at CERN, underground detectors, and space telescopes, have consistently failed to find a direct signal pointing to dark matter particles. Therefore, the search for definitive proof has been long and frustrating.
🔭 The Extraordinary Signature From NASA Data
Against this backdrop of waiting, astrophysicist Prof. Tomonori Totani of the University of Tokyo claims he found an extraordinary signature in data obtained from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
- Halo Pattern: Totani detected a pattern in gamma rays emanating from the center of the Milky Way that matches the predicted shape of a dark matter halo (the invisible cluster surrounding the galaxy).
- WIMP Annihilation: The radiation is highly consistent with gamma rays expected to be emitted when two WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) collide and annihilate. This finding significantly strengthens the Dark Matter First Trace Found hypothesis.
🔬 WIMP PARTICLES: MAY BE 500 TIMES HEAVIER THAN A PROTON
WIMPs are hypothesized to be dark matter particles that interact very weakly with normal matter.
- Mass Estimate: If Prof. Totani’s signal analysis is correct, it suggests that dark matter may consist of fundamental particles that are 500 times heavier than a proton. This information would fundamentally alter the Standard Model of particle physics. [INTERNAL LINK: Particle Physics And The Standard Model]
⚠️ SCIENTIFIC CAUTION AND SKEPTICISM
While the groundbreaking claim has generated excitement, caution remains until the findings are universally accepted.
- The Counter-Argument: Prof. Justin Read, an astrophysicist at the University of Surrey, argues that the failure to find similar signals in dwarf galaxies provides a strong counter-argument to Totani’s claim. Because WIMP theory predicts that these signals should also be visible where dark matter concentration is high, such as in dwarf galaxies.
- Final Verification: Prof. Kinwah Wu, a theoretical physicist at UCL, also urges caution. Consequently, researchers stress the importance of determining whether these gamma rays originated from other astrophysical processes, such as pulsars.
The Dark Matter First Trace Found claim is a hopeful step toward solving the universe’s greatest mystery, yet remains an exciting development pending final verification.
